DEFENCE

Aircraft Carrier Project

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce the Government's choice of programme integrator for the aircraft carrier project.

Adam Ingram: The process to select the physical integrator for the future aircraft carrier project is ongoing, and we anticipate announcing the outcome shortly.

Cash Machines

John McFall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cash machines are currently provided on (a) bases and (b) other property owned, rented or otherwise used by his Department; how many of these cash machines (i) levy a surcharge for withdrawing cash and (ii) are free to use; whether any of the machines which are free to use are in areas that are only accessible by officers; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: There are 268 machines on military bases in Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Germany. Of these, 257 levy a surcharge, leaving 11 machines that are free to use. The free machines are mainly located where troops are confined to base in some way, either for training or security reasons. At Brize Norton, the air base used by those returning from deployment around the world, including Iraq, there are two free machines to facilitate easy access to cash as soon as the troops reach the UK. There are no machines that are accessible by officers only.
	Information on cash machines at other property owned, rented or otherwise used by the Ministry of Defence, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Chinook HC2 Helicopter

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will place all (a) documents, (b) e-mails and (c) memoranda (i) produced and (ii) received by his Department concerning technical faults discovered in the Chinook HC2 helicopter in the Library;
	(2)  on how many occasions in each year since 1990 reviewing officers' conclusions differed from those of the President of an RAF Board of Inquiry.

Adam Ingram: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Civil Servants (Opposition Policy)

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library all factual material produced by civil servants in his Department relating to the costing of policies and pledges of Opposition parties since 1997.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 21 December 2004
	Officials are occasionally asked to provide factual information to allow Opposition party policies to be costed. Such work is carried out in accordance with the guidance set out in Volume One of the Directory of Civil Service Guidance.
	Since 1997, examples have included information to support costing of Opposition policies for defence in Scotland in 1999, Conservative policies on increases in the size of the regular Army and the Territorial Army in 2000 and Conservative policies on changes to the infantry structure in 2004.

Cluster Munitions

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on (i) improving the reliability of cluster munitions and (ii) finding militarily-adequate alternatives to cluster munitions; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: No research has been commissioned in respect of air launched cluster munitions as they are gradually being withdrawn from service over the next five years. Recent statistics show an overall failure rate which is in line with expectations. For Ground Launched systems, the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) is due to be replaced by the future GMLRS Area Effects Munition (AEM) with a planned in service date of early 2007. The new system has bomblets fitted with a self destruct faze giving a failure rate of less than 1 per cent. Whilst the Shell 155mm HE L20A1 Extended Range Bomblet Shell (ERBS) has a maximum failure rate of 2 per cent. at the 95 per cent. confidence level the bomblet fuze has a self destruct mechanism. Analysis shows that for a significant percentage of likely targets the bomblet remains the most effective munition.

Disposal Services Agency

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contracts have been signed by his Department's Disposal Services Agency in the calendar year 2004 for equipment directly sold on a government-to-government basis; and if he will list (a) the equipment concerned and (b) the country to which it has gone or is going.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence's Disposal Services Agency (DSA) signed contracts with the Dutch Air Force for one ex-Qinetiq Hercules aircraft (to be delivered in 2005) and with the Norwegian Defence Forces for a quantity of Stingray torpedoes and depth charges (delivered in December 2004).
	The DSA also signed contracts in 2004 for the supply of equipment to Jordan. These equipments have been sold in support of the Al Hussein Project, which has been established under an inter-governmental memorandum of understanding to facilitate the transfer of ex-MOD surplus Challenger 1 Tank assets. All of the following are sales agreements for support equipments:
	
		
			 Quantity Equipment 
		
		
			 2 Surplus Jones IF8 Wheeled Workshop Cranes  (delivered in December 2004) 
			 20 Surplus Chieftain Armoured Repair and Recovery  Vehicles (19 to be delivered between October and  December 2004 and the DSA plans to ship the last  vehicle in March/April 2005) 
			 6 Surplus M578 Tracked Cranes and a package of  surplus spares and support equipment (export of  these six items will be subject to US Government  approval—delivery probable 2005)

Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether he intends to invite BAE Systems to underwrite the through life costs of the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer;
	(2)  what his latest estimate is of the in-service date for the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer;
	(3)  what the main provisions of the gain share agreement between his Department and BAE Systems in respect of the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer are;
	(4)  what design changes the Integrated Project Team for the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer proposes to make;
	(5)  what he expects the through life costs of the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer to be.
	(6)  when he expects to sign the contract for the (a) development phase and (b) production phase of the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer.

Adam Ingram: We expect the Hawk 128 Advanced Jet Trainer aircraft to cost approximately £3.5 billion Through Life", which amounts to some 20 years. The aircraft will be procured conventionally and paid for by the taxpayer, therefore there is no requirement for BAE Systems to underwrite the Through Life Costs (TLC).
	The Ministry of Defence and BAE Systems have defined and agreed a mature Hawk 128 aircraft specification. We do not envisage any significant design changes to the specification during the Design and Development phase.
	Gain share incentivises a Company to reduce costs and in return receive financial benefit. This information is commercially sensitive and it would be inappropriate to comment further.
	The Design and Development Contract (DDC) was awarded to BAE Systems. on 22 December 2004. Final aircraft numbers, delivery schedule and In-Service Date will all be set at the main investment decision point which is planned for Spring 2006. at which time approval will be sought to place a Production Contract.

Interceptor Missiles

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Her Majesty's Government have made a decision regarding the stationing of interceptor missiles in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: No request has been made and no decision is necessary.

Iraq

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK doctors are working in (a) detention centres and (b) prison centres in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: The only United Kingdom detention facility in Iraq is the military Divisional Temporary Detention Facility (DTDF) in Basrah. There is one military doctor allocated full-time to the DTDF. We do not hold information about UK civilian doctors or other detention facilities in Iraq.

Military Exercises (Deaths)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have been killed while on military exercises in each of the last three years.

Ivor Caplin: Between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2003 (the last three years for which validated figures are held), nine Service personnel have died from injury or poisoning-related causes whilst on military exercises. Of these, six died in 2001, two in 2002 and one in 2003.

Procurement Budget

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 12 January 2005, Official Report, column 574W, on the procurement budget, how the figure of £300 million is comprised; from what sources he has calculated that figure; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Our estimate that some £300 million annually is saved to the defence procurement budget has been constructed using information received from the defence industry on the value of export orders won, and on the share of fixed overhead costs in defence exports. Defence exports comprise services as well as goods, and the estimate also reflects an assumption that the value of non-equipment exports contain no fixed overhead costs.

Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what means he communicated his decision to disband the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment to serving officers and men.

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps were taken to inform members of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment that they would be disbanded in advance of the commanding officer's televised announcement.

Adam Ingram: As the professional head of the Army, the Chief of the General Staff had responsibility for communicating the decision to disband the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment down the chain of command. On the morning of the announcement, the Chief of the General Staff personally telephoned the Colonel Commandant of the Prince of Wales's Division and, in this instance, also the Colonel of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment to inform them of the decision and pending announcement. This was then relayed to the rest of the regiment by the Regiment's Commanding Officer.

Submarines

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many submarines are in service in the Royal Navy; and what the age is of each vessel.

Adam Ingram: The Royal Navy has four Vanguard class (SSBN) and 11 Swiftsure and Trafalgar class (SSN) submarines in service. Based on their in service dates the age of each boat in 2005 is as follows:
	
		
			  Years 
		
		
			 HMS Vanguard 12 
			 HMS Victorious 10 
			 HMS Vigilant 9 
			 HMS Vengeance 6 
			 HMS Sovereign 31 
			 HMS Superb 29 
			 HMS Sceptre 27 
			 HMS Spartan 26 
			 HMS Trafalgar 22 
			 HMS Turbulent 21 
			 HMS Tireless 20 
			 HMS Torbay 18 
			 HMS Trenchant 16 
			 HMS Talent 15 
			 HMS Triumph 14

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Boscastle

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) financial and (b) other assistance the Government has (i) made available and (ii) promised to the community of Boscastle in Cornwall following the flood last year; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Defra has overall policy responsibility for flood and coastal erosion risk in England. Defra funds most of the Environment Agency's flood management activities in England and provides grant aid on a project by project basis to the other flood and coastal defence operating authorities (local authorities and internal drainage boards) to support their investment in improvement projects to manage flood and coastal erosion risk.
	The Government are assisting, in whatever ways they can, local efforts to help the community of Boscastle recover from the flooding on 16 August.
	A Bellwin scheme of emergency financial assistance to North Cornwall District Council (NCDC) has been announced by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) in respect of the immediate action the Council took to safeguard life and property and the clear up costs it has incurred. NCDC has submitted a claim and the ODPM made an interim payment on 20 January 2005.
	Business Link (operated by the Small Business Service, an Agency of the DTI) is providing a dedicated Business Adviser to Boscastle for a 12 month period and has made arrangements to cover interest and administration charges for any affected small or medium-sized enterprise requiring additional bank borrowing as a consequence of the floods.
	The Government Office for the South West, Regional Development Agency, Business Link and other local agencies are working through a Boscastle Regeneration Steering Group to consider and address the short and longer term regeneration needs of the community and support for its businesses. Objective 1 funding has been offered towards a £20,000 Framework Plan commissioned by North Cornwall District Council for the regeneration needs of the area and £93,000 towards a £300,000 tourism recovery initiative.

Bovine TB

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the latest figures are for the incidence of bovine TB, broken down by holding.

Ben Bradshaw: Bovine tuberculosis surveillance data are not available on a holding basis. However, detailed TB statistics, broken down by county in areas of high TB incidence, or by Animal Health Divisional Office (AHDO) in other areas, are published each month on the Defra website at:
	www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/stats/index.htm
	The published data include the number of TB herd breakdowns in each county or AHDO area.

Departmental Advertising

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the devolved administrations concerning the content, frequency and timing of television advertisements placed by her Department on UK-wide satellite television channels.

Alun Michael: Defra has never placed television advertisements on UK-wide satellite television channels.

Environmental Scheme Costs

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received on the fees charged for the administration and supervision of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

Elliot Morley: The subsistence charging amendments to the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Regulations went out to consultation in October last year (22 October–3 December). Approximately 30responses from companies have been received. Defra will be publishing a response to some of the questions raised on its website shortly, and the consultation responses will be made available in the Defra library in due course.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs or what reasons she does not envisage a level playing field for the implementation of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme for shipping and aviation.

Elliot Morley: We do envisage a level playing field for intra-EU aviation flights and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. As outlined in the 2003 Air Transport White Paper, The Future of Air Transport", the Government are actively pursuing the inclusion of intra-EU aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, and progress on this policy will be a priority for the UK Presidency of the EU in 2005. If the UK is successful, it is hoped that intra-EU aviation could be included within the second phase of the Scheme, from 2008 or soon after.
	Dealing with all matters maritime, including emissions from ships, is a competence at IMO (the International Maritime Organisation). The nature of international shipping is such that it needs to be treated very differently to all other modes of transport. This is important, as most ships are registered outside of the EU (e.g. Panama). We continue to lobby member states of the IMO to tackle this issue. To date this has met with little success, as the political discussions surrounding environment issues are often blocked outright.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the EU Emissions Trading Scheme will enter into force.

Elliot Morley: The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Regulations (2003) state:
	No person shall carry out a Schedule 1 activity resulting in specified emissions after 1 January 2005, except under and to the extent authorised by a greenhouse gas emissions permit."
	UK Regulators have issued about 1,150 permits, and conditions under those permits require installations covered by the Scheme to monitor and report their emissions of carbon dioxide.

Farm Payments

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to publish proposals for the public disclosure of Common Agricultural Policy payments at a farm level; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: Requests for information about subsidy payments made to farmers in the past will be considered by the Rural Payments Agency. In reaching a decision account will have to be taken of the resource implications of gathering the information and of assessing the balance between the public interest and the commercial or privacy implications for the subject. We are still considering these implications in light of requests received and hope to be able to make the position clear in the near future.
	For the new single payment we are minded to publish information as a matter of course, when it becomes available, but we are still considering the options for doing so.

Farm Plastics Recycling Schemes

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farm plastics recycling schemes are in place.

Elliot Morley: Currently, there is one recycling scheme for farm plastics in place to my knowledge. However, Chapter 8 of the consultation paper on the draft Waste Management (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 discusses the introduction of a voluntary or statutory producer responsibility scheme for the collection and recovery of non-packaging plastic waste from farms. The consultation paper was published on 9 December 2004 and is available in the Library of the House and on my Department's website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/agwaste-regs/index.htm. Views are invited by 18 March 2005. Plastic packaging waste from farms and elsewhere is already the subject of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 (as amended).

Freedom of Information

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what procedures she has put in place to respond to requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to disclose the level of EU and domestic support made available to individual agricultural producers and landowners.

Alun Michael: Requests for information about subsidy payments made to farmers in the past will be considered by the Rural Payments Agency. In reaching a decision account will have to be taken of the resource implications of gathering the information and of assessing the balance between the public interest and the commercial or privacy implications for the subject.
	For the new single payment, being introduced this year, we are minded to publish information as a matter of course but we are still considering the options for doing so.

Global Dimming

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the dampening effects of global dimming on mean temperatures (a) in the UK and (b) worldwide.

Elliot Morley: Aerosol pollution cools the climate and partially offsets some of the warming due to greenhouse gases but we don't know with certainty by how much. Defra's Climate Prediction Programme at the Hadley Centre has been investigating the impacts of aerosol on climate change and the risks of acceleration of climate change for some time. Good climate models already include the effects of aerosol and look at how climate change could be affected if the whole range of uncertainty in aerosol is included in model calculations. The result is an increase to the uncertainty range of climate sensitivity both globally and in the UK.
	The climate change could therefore be greater than previously thought, with changes in global temperature of up to10°C by 2100, compared to 6°C as represented by the IPCC. However, this is based on the highest emissions scenario, so should be seen as being at the extreme end of the projected range of future climate change.

Growth Antibiotics

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the consumption of antibiotics used to promote farm animal growth was in England in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The VMD collects and publishes figures annually on the UK sales of veterinary antimicrobials, including those sold for use as growth promoters. It is reasonable to assume that there is a close correlation between these figures and the quantities used in the UK. The figures are supplied by the manufacturers on a voluntary basis. The reports are available on the VMD website at www.vmd.gov.uk under the publications and general tabs or from Dr. Kay Goodyear (telephone 01932 338409).
	The most recent figure for sales of antimicrobial growth promoters in the UK is 36 tonnes of active ingredient in 2003.

Lead Pipes

Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many lead water supply mains and pipes have been replaced since 2000;
	(2)  how many kilometres of water distribution mains have been renovated since 2000 to reduce problems associated with discolouration of water.

Elliot Morley: To deal with water quality problems, including discolouration, water companies renovated 15,460 kilometres of water distribution mains between 2000 and the end of 2003.
	Water companies no longer have lead water supply mains. They replaced some 314,000 lead communication pipes between 2000 and the end of March 2004. The communication pipe is the water company owned section of pipe which conveys water from the supply main to the curtilage of a consumer's premises where it connects to the consumer's supply pipe.

Metered Water

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many households within the Greater London area use metered water.

Elliot Morley: Figures on water customers are collected by water company supply area, not by administrative area. The Office of Water Services (Ofwat) forecast is that 656,500 households who are customers of Thames Water will have a metered water supply in 2004–05.

Mobile Phone Masts

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will discuss with mobile telephone operators the potential for using mobile phone masts to disseminate warnings of severe weather or other disasters that require localised warning messages.

Elliot Morley: The Environment Agency is responsible for developing and operating the service to warn of possible flooding from watercourses and the sea in England.
	It is technically feasible to use mobile phone network providers to disseminate localised warning messages, but certain agreements and procedures would be required. I understand the agency is discussing this possibility with mobile phone network providers.
	Additionally, the agency will introduce Floodline Warnings Direct later this year. The £9.4 million warning system will enable the agency to use a range of new channels and technologies to simultaneously warn more homeowners, businesses, emergency services and local authorities of the threat of flooding.
	It will be the country's first multi-channel warning system and will exploit current and emerging technologies to deliver warning messages simultaneously via telephone, mobile phone, pager, e-mail and fax and, in due course, SMS text messaging, digital TV and radio.
	Members of the public who choose to receive the new service will be able to elect to receive warning messages via their mobile phones (voice and/or text) if they provide the agency with their contact numbers.

Nuclear Waste

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what volume of (a) low level, (b) intermediate level and (c) high level nuclear waste has gone missing in each of the last five years; and what percentage has been recovered.

Elliot Morley: None.
	An inventory of UK radioactive waste stocks is produced periodically by my Department. The latest edition was published in 2002 providing information on sources, quantities and properties of waste stocks as of 1 April 2001. Work on a 2004 inventory is currently under way.

Oil Contamination

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of oil leaks on land in each of the last four years contaminated (a) sources of drinking water and (b) water used for recreation; what requirements exist to report such occurrences; what powers exist to require remedial action to be taken; and what the estimated cost was to public funds of such occurrences.

Elliot Morley: With respect to the proportion of oil leaks on land over the last four years, these data are not available. However, the Oil Care Campaign has commissioned research (sponsored by the oil industry) to review all sources of information on the causes of oil pollution. The conclusions of this work, including provisional data for 2004, are due for publication in the next two months.
	There are no general requirements for such spillages to be reported, although the Environment Agency (EA) encourages their reporting and has an emergency hotline for this purpose. In addition, the water companies are required to notify the Drinking Water Inspectorate of any incident which affects drinking water quality or where there may be a risk to consumers' health. This includes all instances of chemical contamination including oil leakage/spillage.
	The EA has the power to serve a Works Notice in order to prevent the immediate threat of water pollution or to ensure that remedial action is taken following an incident. However, in most cases, the necessary action is secured without recourse to the formal issuing of a notice.
	The estimated cost of such incidents to public funds is not readily available. However, the EA expects to be able to provide some indicative costs at the same time as the incident data.

Pheasants

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the change in use of large moveable pens for the rearing of pheasants following the removal of the chemical DMZ; and whether these pens are subject to (a) planning permission and (b) business rates.

Ben Bradshaw: DMZ (dimetridazole) is the active ingredient in an antiprotozoal that was indicated for use in game birds for blackhead. Its use in food producing animals was banned by the European Commission for food safety reasons. An alternative way to prevent blackhead is to change husbandry practices such as rearing each year's birds on new pasture. We have not made any assessment of the changes made by producers to help prevent blackhead. Defra is not responsible for the rules governing planning permission and business rates.

Research and Development

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what expenditure was made by (a) her Department and (b) agencies for which her Department is responsible on research projects by companies with headquarters in (i) the UK, (ii) other EU member states and (iii) non-EU states in each year since 2001–02.

Alun Michael: The Department does not keep this level of information on the organisations at which it funds research.

Research and Development

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much and what percentage of her Department's expenditure went on research and development in each year between 2001–02 and 2003–04.

Alun Michael: The figures are:
	
		
			  Defra R&D funding (£ million) Percentage of total Defra expenditure 
		
		
			 2001–02 144 3.1 
			 2002–03 144 3.5 
			 2003–04 146 3.4

Research and Development

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many research and development procurement opportunities were disseminated by the Department to small and medium-sized enterprises registered through the Small Business Research Initiative in each year since 2001–02 to date; and what the value of such opportunities was in each case.

Alun Michael: Defra fully supports the Small Business Research Initiative and all Defra research competitions are open to small businesses. Since 2002–03, when Defra began recording this information, our records show that we have funded research with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (both as main contractor and sub-contractor) as follows:
	
		
			  Number of SMEs Value (£) 
		
		
			 2002–03 93 2,893,756 
			 2003–04 53 3,131,117 
			 2004–05 (Incomplete)14 2,734,526

Fairshare Scheme

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 17 January 2005, Official Report, column 713W, on tax credits, whether the fareshare scheme, previously funded under the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme, is eligible for funding under the Waste Implementation Programme; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: In November I announced details of theCommunity Sector Support Programme, which is being administered by the Waste Implementation Programme. This funding package includes one year of grant support in 2005–06 for projects dealing with municipal waste, for which the deadline for applications was 4 January.

Wood Waste

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State forEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are being taken to divert wood from landfill to(a) coal-fired and (b) non-coal burning power stations.

Elliot Morley: The Government are committed to reducing the UK's reliance on landfill, in order to reduce its environmental impact and because landfilling is a missed opportunity to recover value from waste. This commitment applies to waste wood as it does to any other waste material. Using wood as a fuel in power stations is one alternative to disposal in landfills and, under the forthcoming review of the Renewables Obligation, the case for amending eligibility rules regarding electricity generated from mixed wastes, including wood, will be considered.
	There are other ways of diverting wood from landfill, such as re-using or recycling it as a raw material in construction or for manufacturing wood based products. To encourage this, wood is one of the priority materials under the Government-funded Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which was established to create markets for recycled materials. By 2006 WRAP are aiming for a 150,000 tonne increase in the recycling of waste wood into added-value end markets.

Wood Waste

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the amount of wood which is disposed of in landfill sites; and what action she plans to take to reduce that amount.

Elliot Morley: The Government have no basis for estimating the amount of wood being disposed of in landfills. However, they are committed to reducing the UK's reliance on landfill, in order to reduce its environmental impact and because landfilling is a missed opportunity to recover value from waste. This commitment applies to wood as it does to any other waste material. As a result, the Government encourage the re-use or recycling of wood as a raw material in construction or in manufacturing wood based products or used as a fuel, rather than being sent to landfill. In particular, wood is one of the priority materials under the Government-funded Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which was established to create markets for recycled materials. By 2006 WRAP are aiming for a 150,000 tonne increase in the recycling of waste wood into added-value end markets.

PRIME MINISTER

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the occasions when his special advisers have made appearances before parliamentary select committees.

Tony Blair: Alastair Campbell, my former Director of Communications and Strategy, gave evidence to the Public Administration Select Committee on 23 June 1998 and to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee on Wednesday 25 June 2003.

WALES

Dental Services

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he plans to meet the new Minister for Health and Social Services of the National Assembly for Wales to discuss dental services in Wales.

Don Touhig: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Congleton (Ann Winterton). As I said then, I have already met the Assembly's new Health Minister and we plan to have further meetings and discussions in the coming weeks.

Pupil Referral Units

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with his secretaries in the National Assembly for Wales on the availability of pupil referral units in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Don Touhig: I regularly meet Assembly Ministers to discuss a range of issues, including education.
	Data for Wales indicate a significant rise in the number of referral unit places and pupils. The number of pupil referral units has risen from 24 in 1997 to 31 in 2004 and the number of pupils registered in the units has also risen from 49 to 1,058 in the same timescale.

Manufacturing Industry

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the state of the manufacturing industry in Wales.

Peter Hain: Manufacturing remains subject to intense global competitive pressures but, despite this, the sector in Wales still makes an important contribution to the Welsh economy accounting for 21 per cent. of Gross Value Added and employing around 180,000 people, or 16 per cent. of the workforce.

Child Trust Fund

Jackie Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with his Cabinet colleagues on the implementation of the child trust fund in Wales.

Peter Hain: I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, including the Child Trust Fund. The Chancellor and the Assembly First Minister have met with the Child Poverty Tax Group and End Child Poverty Network to discuss ways of ensuring the CTF makes a maximum contribution to tackling child poverty in Wales.

Pensioner Poverty

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with his Cabinet colleagues on tackling pensioner poverty in Wales.

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with his Cabinet colleagues on tackling pensioner poverty in Wales.

Don Touhig: I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues including tackling pensioner poverty in Wales.
	The Government are tackling pensioner poverty with an extra £10 billion to be spent on pensioners in 2005–06. The Assembly is also making £10 million available to 2006–07 for its strategy for Older People in Wales. The strategy will plan for an ageing society and improve services for older people in Wales.

Freedom of Information

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what categories of information are available under Freedom of Information legislation that have not been provided in written parliamentary answers by his Department in the last three years.

Don Touhig: The Freedom of Information Act does not make specific categories of information available, but operates on the presumption that all information held by public authorities should be available, subject to the 24 exemptions of the Act.
	Whether or not information is exempt under the Act requires the exercise of judgment in each case. The majority of the exemptions also require that the public interest in releasing the information should be weighed against the public interest in withholding it. If the public interest in disclosing the information outweigh the public interest in withholding it the information must be disclosed. The assessment of the public interest has to be made in all the circumstances of the case, on a case by case basis as far as each request is concerned.

Welsh Economy

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the effects of the Chancellor's proposals in the pre-Budget report on the economy in Wales.

Peter Hain: Regular ones. As a result of the pre-Budget report, an additional £38.5 million will be invested in Wales, measures to improve skills, productivity and entrepreneurship and Council tax support.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Parliamentary Questions

Paul Holmes: To ask the Leader of the House from which Government agencies letters in response to parliamentary questions are (a) published in Hansard and (b) placed in the Library; and what criteria are applied in deciding which answering mechanism should be used.

Peter Hain: All letters from Government Agencies in response to parliamentary questions should be sent to the Official Report for printing, unless they contain personal or confidential information. If the letter is longer than the Official Report would normally publish (a maximum of four A4 pages in length in material received), notification will be printed that the response is available in the Library of the House. The response will be available to Members in the Library and on application to the House of Commons Information Office.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

CPS Prosecutions (Essex)

David Amess: To ask the Solicitor General how many prosecutions were undertaken by the Crown Prosecution Service in (a) Essex and (b) Southend-on-Sea in each year since 1997; and how many resulted in (i)conviction and (ii) acquittal.

Harriet Harman: Cases prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service do not all conclude in a conviction or an acquittal. The difference between the number of defendant files prosecuted and the number of defendants resulting in conviction or acquittal will reflect the defendants that did not proceed to trial or conviction. They will be classed under the Area's performance figures as defendant cases resulting in a discontinuance or discharged committal, or defendants that are on a warrant or have been written off.
	
		Cases undertaken by CPS Essex since 1997
		
			  Number of defendants prosecuted Number of defendants convicted Number of acquittals 
		
		
			 1997 28,829 21,186 803 
			 1998 28,918 21,954 854 
			 1999 29,098 21,722 919 
			 2000 25,761 19,123 733 
			 2001 26,440 20,657 603 
			 2002 26,931 20,842 633 
			 2003 27,570 21,064 870 
			 2004 (to September)28,499 23,367 1,049 
		
	
	
		Cases undertaken by Southend-on-Sea Criminal Justice Unitsince 1997
		
			  Number of defendants prosecuted Number of defendants convicted Number of acquittals 
		
		
			 1997 6,051 4,408 86 
			 1998 6,169 4,673 97 
			 1999 6,228 4,665 88 
			 2000 5,573 4,135 86 
			 2001 5,958 4,845 62 
			 2002 4,534 3,643 50 
			 2003 5,150 4,108 71 
			 2004 (to September)6,111 5,142 127

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Palestine

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of Palestinian economic regeneration.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: Prospects for Palestinian economic regeneration are bleak unless the underlying causes of economic decline and poverty are addressed. The Government of Israel need to ease the system of restrictions on the movement of people and goods imposed since the beginning of the intifada". The Palestinian Authority also needs to invigorate its programme of governance reforms in order to create an internal environment more attractive to private investors. The UK is working closely with international partners on both these issues. Economic issues will be a key theme of the London meeting on 1 March. This will be an opportunity to support the new Palestinian leadership in strengthening its institutional capacity and will also help stimulate progress on the Road Map towards a settlement which will allow the Palestinian economy to grow again.

TRANSPORT

Concessionary Travel

Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the number of pensioners eligible for free bus passes and travel; and what percentage of the pensioner population this represents.

Charlotte Atkins: In England, there are five areas where older people (men and women aged 60 and over) are offered free concessionary travel on local bus services. These are the London boroughs, Merseyside, Crawley, Redditch and Thurrock. Reading and the West Midlands offer free local bus travel to residents aged 65 and over. Free local bus travel is also offered by Bournemouth and Plymouth to residents aged 80 and over and by Rossendale to residents aged 90 and over.
	We estimate that 1.96 million older people are eligiblefor free bus travel in these areas, representing 18.9 per cent. of older people in England. The remaining 8.42 million older people in England are entitled to at least the statutory half-fare minimum requirement on bus services, with no charge for the pass, though local authorities can offer more generous schemes and many provide concessions between half fares and free travel, such as flat fares. There are 9.19 million pensioners in England (men aged 65 and over, women aged 60 and over) of which 1.79 million are eligible for free local bus travel. This represents 19.4 per cent. of pensioners in England.
	Some other authorities offer the choice of free travel with a charge for the annual concessionary travel pass as an alternative to the statutory minimum half fare with a free annual pass. Some local authorities also extend their concessionary fare schemes to cover other forms of public transport—including the free schemes in the London boroughs, Merseyside, and Crawley and the partially free scheme in the West Midlands.
	Figures are based on Office of National Statistics 2003 population estimates.

DVLA (Fines)

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fines were issued to drivers for failing to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency about a change of address in each of the last five years.

David Jamieson: The offence of failure to notify a change of address or personal details is normally taken into account as part of investigations into other more serious driving and traffic offences.
	Any penalties subsequently imposed by courts for major offences may incorporate a penalty for non-notification, but the court statistics only record the prime offence(s). There are no statistics available for this specific offence of failure to notify changes.
	Some 2.7 million replacement driving licences are issued annually by DVLA in response to notifications from drivers of changes to their personal details.

Departmental Expenditure

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on energy costs incurred by his Department in each of the last two years.

Charlotte Atkins: Pursuant to my answer of 15 December 2004, Official Report, columns 1094–96W the revised energy costs recorded by the Department for the periods 2002–03 and 2003–04 are as follows:
	
		£
		
			  Electricity Gas Oil Total 
			  2002–03 2003–04 2002–03 2003–04 2002–03 2003–04 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 DfT HQ 311,833 323,395 18,578 23,436 0 0 330,411 346,831 
			 AAIB 9,300 8,900 0 0 9,500 8,800 18,800 17,700 
			 MAIB 3,606 5,132 506 730 0 0 4,112 5,862 
			 DSA 268,270 293,902 90,982 104,005 3,253 2,591 362,505 400,498 
			 DVLA 560,399 557,518 120,693 129,053 0 0 681,092 686,571 
			 HA 387,801 229,094 58,897 53,497 29 4,164 446,727 286,755 
			 MCA 475,400 492,906 96,404 106,421 45,451 25,939 617,255 625,266 
			 VCA 11,698 6,848 1,321 1,628 4,014 3,664 17,033 12,140 
			 VOSA 425,828 402,869 113,067 134,937 75,099 46,524 613,994 584,330 
			 Total 2,454,135 2,320,564 500,448 553,707 137,346 91,682 3,091,929 2,965,953 
		
	
	Overall the decrease in costs from 2002–03 to 2003–04 is 4 per cent. although the figures for costs alone can be misleading if not placed within the wider context of changes in unit price, areas measured, levels of consumption and improved record keeping. The DfT estate comprises some 1,680 properties of varying size, use and nature of occupation and is therefore not possible to make any comprehensive or definitive statements about energy cost changes on such a diverse estate, which may be attributable to these and other factors.
	Increases and decreases in unit charges and area occupied can also mask efforts to improve energy efficiency so a better measure of performance is consumption at those properties where energy monitoring is both possible and carried out where the overall usage was down 2.2 per cent. over the same period. For more details on consumption I would refer the hon. Member to my answer of 20 October 2004, Official Report, columns 687–88W to the hon. Member for Ashford (Mr. Green).
	The Department will continue to aim to reduce energy consumption and meet other energy targets set out in the Framework for Sustainable Development in the Government Estate.

Departmental Expenditure

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the running costs of the Department were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile telephones and (f) televisions.

Charlotte Atkins: The Department for Transport was formed in May 2002 and as a result the information provided relates only from the years 2002–03 onwards.
	The Department's running costs for the items requested are shown in the following table:
	
		£000
		
			  2002–03 2003–04 
			 Running cost type DfT central Agencies Total DfT central Agencies Total 
		
		
			 Electricity 324.7 2,129.4 2,454.1 337.4 1,983.1 2,320.5 
			 Water 17.5 525.5 543.0 37.6 506.5 544.1 
			 Gas 19.1 481.4 500.5 24.2 529.5 553.7 
			 Telephones 2,644.3 6,051.4 8,695.7 1,529.3 7,886.6 9,415.9 
			 Mobile telephone 79.4 386.6 466.0 111.8 440.9 552.7 
			 Television 11.1 1.8 12.9 11.2 2.2 13.4 
			 Total 3,096.1 9,576.1 12,672.2 2,051.5 11,348.8 13,400.3

Freedom of Information

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what categories of information are available under Freedom of Information legislation that have not been provided in written parliamentary answers by his Department in the last three years.

Charlotte Atkins: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs (Mr. Leslie) on 24 January 2005, Official Report, column 140W.

Railways

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the likely growth in passenger numbers on the rail network over the next (a) five and (b) 10 years, broken down by (i)national rail network, (ii) First Great Western franchise area and (iii) First Great Western Link franchise area.

Tony McNulty: The information is not available in the form requested. The Strategic Rail Authority's (SRA) Capacity Utilisation Policy: Network Utilisation Strategy" document, published in June 2003, states that their planning assumption is that demand growth between 2001–02 and 2010–11 will be in the region of 20–30 per cent. The SRA's Great Western Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy" consultation document, published in January, states that overall passenger growth for the Great Western Main Line area is forecast to be around 18 per cent. between 2002–03 and 2011–12.

Roads

Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library advice which he received from (a) the Highways Agency and (b) departmental officials on determining priorities between road schemes, prior to his recent announcements on road spending.

David Jamieson: We have no plans to do so at present.

Secondment

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the people working within his Department on secondment from the private sector, broken down by (a) the organisation or industry they came from and (b) the policy responsibilities they have been given.

Charlotte Atkins: The information requested is as follows:
	
		Department for Transport and the Agencies
		
			 Name Organisation Role 
		
		
			 David Sterland British Airways Project management role to co-ordinate the preparation, monitoring and evaluation of a package of agreed, prioritised and strategic aviation and maritime security bids to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Global Opportunities Fund. 
			 Mike Lloyd Mercer Management Consulting Providing economic advice on all Railways Economy issues, particularly franchising, strategy, 10-year plan review and West Coast Mainline. 
			 Nick Joyce Ernst & Young Corporate finance adviser.

Single-hulled Tankers

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to ban single-hulled tankers from operating in UK coastal waters; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The UK has played a key role in both the International Maritime Organisation (MO) and the EU in negotiating an acceleration of a programme to phase out single hull tankers from world trade, while ensuring continuity of energy supply. The IMO has recently agreed to an accelerated programme, under which the large majority of single hull tankers will have been phased out by the end of 2010. Single hull tankers which will be under 25 years of age at the end of 2010 will be allowed to continue in service until the end of 2015, or on reaching age 25 if earlier, but only if they first pass a rigorous assessment of their condition. Based on the IMO agreement, there is a EU Regulation, now in force, which prohibits single hull tankers entering or leaving EU ports and anchorages when carrying heavy grades of oil as cargo.
	The United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea, to which the UK acceded in 1997, gives rights of innocent passage though territorial waters for ships which comply with internationally agreed standards governing their construction and use, which includes single hull tankers which have yet to reach their phase out date. Secretary of State has no powers to curtail such rights, which benefit UK ships when participating in world trade.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Child Abuse

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what duties are placed on (a) headmasters and (b) governors of independent schools to report suspicions of child abuse by members of staff.

Stephen Twigg: holding answer 24 January 2005
	The duty to report suspicions of child abuse by members of staff in independent schools is placed on proprietors rather than head teachers and governors. Proprietors are required to make a report to my Department when they have ceased to use a person's services, or when a person has ceased to provide their services, on grounds that they are unsuitable to work with children, on grounds of misconduct, or on grounds relating to the person's health where issues are raised about the safety or welfare of children.
	Proprietors of independent schools have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at their school and must ensure that their school has procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse against staff which comply with locally agreed inter-agency procedures.

Childminders

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) registered childminders and (b) registered childminder places were available in 2004.

Margaret Hodge: At 31 December 2004 the numbers of registered childminders and registered childminder places in England were 71,000 and 318,100 respectively.
	Statistics on the number of childcare places registered in England were published on 19 January 2005 in a report by Ofsted Registered Childcare Providers and Places in England, 31 December 2004". The report is available on the Ofsted website, www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications.

Childminders

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) childminders and (b) childminder places were registered in Stoke-on-Trent in 2004.

Margaret Hodge: At 31 December 2004 the numbers of registered childminders and registered childminder places in Stoke on Trent local education authority area were 300 and 1,300 respectively.
	Statistics on the number of child care places registered in England were published on 19 January 2005 in a report by Ofsted Registered Childcare Providers and Places in England, 31 December 2004". The report is available on the Ofsted website, www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications.

Departmental Staff

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of her Department's staff is based in London.

Derek Twigg: Information on regional distribution of staff is available in the Libraries of both Houses, and also at: http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management information/statistical_information/statistics/contents_ for_civil_service_statistics_2003_report/index.asp
	Table D shows the numbers of staff by regional distribution. Figures relating to 1 April 2004 are due to be published during February 2005.

DES/EU Co-operation

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions her Department has had with the European Commission on the supporting, co-ordinating and complementary action that may be taken by the EU in the field of vocational training under article I-17 of the proposed EU constitution.

Kim Howells: None. The Treaty has not yet been ratified by the United Kingdom and several other member states and is therefore not yet in force.

Education Funding

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding has been spent on (a) higher and (b) further education in Stoke on Trent in each year since 1997.

Kim Howells: Public funding for Staffordshire university from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is shown in the first table.
	
		Recurrent funding for Staffordshire university1, 2, 3 -- £000
		
			   Of which: 
			  Recurrent funds for teaching and research(4) Teaching Research Funds for rewarding and developing staff(5) 
		
		
			 1997–98 28,479 27,832 647 — 
			 1998–99 32,908 32,189 719 — 
			 1999–2000 34,020 33,182 838 — 
			 2000–01 36,393 35,481 912 — 
			 2001–02 39,001 37,256 905 841 
			 2002–03 40,185 38,123 820 1,242 
			 2003–04 41,565 39,232 609 1,724 
			 2004–05 41,083 40,512 572 — 
		
	
	(1) HEFCE is not able to provide data on funding allocated in respect of students ordinarily resident in Stoke on Trent.
	2 HEFCE data is provided for Staffordshire university and its partner colleges in the Staffordshire University Regional Federation (SURF), who are funded by HEFCE through the university. The figures therefore include funding not just for Staffordshire university's Stoke campus and Stoke-on-Trent College, but for the university's other campuses in Stafford and Lichfield and its various partner FE Colleges across Staffordshire and Shropshire. We are not able to disaggregate funding for these constituent parts as the university and its partners are funded as a single entity through a block grant.
	3 Funding figures show HEFCE recurrent grant for teaching and research only. They exclude other HEFCE grants such as for capital and other special initiatives. They also exclude funding from other public sources, such as the NHS, TTA, LSC, research councils etc.
	4 Constituent parts may not add to total due to rounding.
	5 Funding for rewarding and developing staff was first allocated for 2001–02 and transferred into teaching grant in 2004–05.
	Source:
	HEFCE
	In addition HEFCE provided £549,987 of recurrent funding for teaching to Stoke on Trent college in 1999–2000. From 2000–01 onwards this was transferred to the HE provision for Staffordshire university.
	Data on public expenditure paid to students at Staffordshire university and Stoke on Trent college by the Student Loans Company (SLC) in respect of grants, income-contingent loan cash outlay, and tuition fees for academic years 1999/2000 to 2004/05 (provisional) are shown in the second table. Data are not available at the level requested prior to academic year 1999/2000.
	
		SLC expenditure on grants(2)(5507280003), income-contingent loan cash outlay(4), and tuition fees(5) paid to students studying at Staffordshire university and Stoke on Trent college(6) Academic years 1999/2000 to 2004/05 (provisional) -- £ million
		
			 Academic year SLC expenditure 
		
		
			 1999/2000 24.6 
			 2000/01 34.2 
			 2001/02 34.7 
			 2002/03 32.2 
			 2003/04 31.8 
			 2004/05(7) 28.9 
		
	
	(2) Up to and including academic year 2003/04, data on grant expenditure for student support scheme students relates to additional allowances/grants available to eligible students for extra help depending on their circumstances, e.g. students with disabilities, students with dependents, single parent students, those incurring certain travel costs, and those who have recently left care. In addition, data for 2004/05 include expenditure on the Higher Education grant which was introduced for new students in 2004/05 to help cover the cost of participating in Higher Education.
	(3) Students domiciled in England and Wales.
	(4) Students domiciled in England, Wales and the EU.
	(5) Data also include planned expenditure.
	(6) Provisional (as at 19 January 2005)
	Data on public expenditure for mortgage style loans, hardship loans, part-time fee grants and part-time course grants are not readily available at the level requested. I will include details of these expenditures in the House of Commons Library when available.
	Data on discretionary funding at Staffordshire University Regional Federation (SURF) are shown in the third table.
	
		Discretionary funding at SURF1, 2 from 1997/98 to 2004/05 -- £000
		
			  Hardship/access to learning fund Fee waivers Opportunity bursaries Support for access administration 
		
		
			 1997/98 234.6 n/a n/a n/a 
			 1998/99 524.2 n/a n/a n/a 
			 1999/2000 833.4 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2000/01 842.4 33.8 n/a 35.7 
			 2001/02 960.4 36.1 148.0 28.2 
			 2002/03 909.3 54.2 208.5 28.9 
			 2003/04 802.3 74.1 309.0 (9)— 
			 2004/05 765.2 6.2 174.0 (9)— 
		
	
	n/a = not applicable.
	(7) Data include funding for Staffordshire university's Stoke campus, Stoke-on-Trent college and the university's other campuses in Stafford and Litchfield and its various partner FE colleges, all of which are funded by HEFCE through the university.
	(8) As lead institution, Staffordshire university receive discretionary funding for all of the members of the consortium and the consortium decide how the allocation is administered.
	(9) From 2003/04 administration funding was paid as an integral part of the Access to Learning Fund allocation.
	There are two Further Education colleges located within the parliamentary constituency of Stoke on Trent Central, namely Stoke on Trent college and the City of Stoke on Trent sixth form college. Public funding for these from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and its predecessor the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) is shown in the fourth table.
	
		£ million
		
			 Academic year Stoke-on-Trent college City of Stoke-on-Trent sixth form college 
		
		
			 1997/98 18.0 4.3 
			 1998/99 18.1 4.4 
			 1999/2000 19.0 4.8 
			 2000/01 20.8 5.8 
			 2001/02 20.6 5.5 
			 2002/03 22.7 5.7 
			 2003/04 25.9 5.5 
			 2004/05 27.7 6.0 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. These figures represent allocations of funding for FE provision that was actually paid (but may have been adjusted subsequently for under or over performance) and do not include any non-FE funding that the colleges may have received.
	2. The LSC was established in April 2001 and prior to that the FE sector was administered by the FEFC.

Education Funding

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the real-term funding guarantee for (a) school sixth forms, (b) sixth form colleges and (c) further education colleges is in the 2004–05 financial year; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: In the academic year 2004/05, the Learning and Skills Council increased its funding rates by 4 per cent. for school sixth forms, in line with the per pupil guarantee funding increase for schools. Funding rates for sixth form colleges and further education colleges meeting their targets increased by 5 per cent. in 2004/05.

Education Funding

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will instruct the Learning and Skills Council to fund school sixth forms and further education colleges at the same level for capital investment projects.

Kim Howells: Capital funding for school sixth forms is part of the devolved funding for schools which the local education authority administers.
	Capital funding for further education colleges is the responsibility of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) which has sole discretion in how and where it allocates capital support.
	In our five-year strategy we set out plans to establish a new 16–19 capital fund combining school and further education resources to support coherent investment in new 16–19 provision.
	The fund is expected to come into effect from 2006–07, and will be administered by the LSC.

Education Funding

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the level of funding available to further education colleges to implement the Increased Flexibility Programme for 14 to 16-year-olds.

Kim Howells: The Department allocates funding to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to deliver the Increased Flexibility Programme. Funding of up to £100,000 per partnership has been made available to support activity in 2004–06. The allocation of funding is decided locally between the partners.
	The Department has not assessed the funding available to partnerships to implement the Increased Flexibility Programme, but the LSC has commissioned a study into this. Mark Haysom, the LSC's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member with details of the study. A copy of his letter will be placed in the House Library.

Education Funding

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the per capita funding for 16 to 18 year olds in Stoke-on-Trent was in (a) school sixth forms, (b) the sixth form college and (c) other further education colleges in each of the past five years.

Kim Howells: The Department allocates funds for education and training in the post-six learning and skills sector to the Learning and Skills Council. The Department does not collect information on the level of per capita funding for 16 to 18 year olds in school sixth forms and sixth form and further education colleges at the local level. Mark Haysom, the Learning and Skills Council's Chief Executive will write to the hon. Member with details of the level of per capita funding for 16 to 18 year olds in (a) school sixth forms (b) sixth form colleges and (c) further education colleges in each of the past five years in the Stoke-on-Trent area. A copy of his letter will be placed in the House Library.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students aged 16 to 18 years are in receipt of education maintenance allowance in each institution in the Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Learning and Skills Council area.

Ivan Lewis: EMA is available in 2004–05 to eligible young people aged 16 on 31 August 2004 in the Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire LSC area. As at 19 January 2005 3,260 young people in the Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire LSC area had received an EMA payment.
	A document showing how many young people are receiving EMA in individual educational institutions in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire LSC area is shown in the table:
	
		EMA students by School/College(10)
		
			 LEA name SCL ID SCL Description Number of enrolments 
		
		
			 Buckinghamshire 110484 Buckingham School 19 
			 Buckinghamshire 110485 John Hampden Grammar School 21 
			 Buckinghamshire 110488 The Grange School 27 
			 Buckinghamshire 110489 Princes Risborough 16 
			 Buckinghamshire 110490 The Misbourne School 21 
			 Buckinghamshire 110491 John Colet School 17 
			 Buckinghamshire 110492 Quarrendon Upper School 8 
			 Buckinghamshire 110493 Burnham Grammar School 18 
			 Buckinghamshire 110494 Aylesbury High School 36 
			 Buckinghamshire 110495 Dr. Challoner's High School 13 
			 Buckinghamshire 110496 Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School and Performing Arts College 29 
			 Buckinghamshire 110497 Mandeville Upper School 29 
			 Buckinghamshire 110499 Holmer Green Senior School 11 
			 Buckinghamshire 110500 Cressex Community School 23 
			 Buckinghamshire 110501 Burnham Upper School 11 
			 Buckinghamshire 110504 Chesham High School 21 
			 Buckinghamshire 110505 The Beaconsfield School 15 
			 Buckinghamshire 110506 Sir William Ramsay School 18 
			 Buckinghamshire 110508 The Wye Valley School 11 
			 Buckinghamshire 110509 The Amersham School 26 
			 Buckinghamshire 110510 Chesham Park Community College 10 
			 Buckinghamshire 110511 Aylesbury Grammar School 23 
			 Buckinghamshire 110512 Royal Latin School 35 
			 Buckinghamshire 110513 Wycombe High School 36 
			 Buckinghamshire 110514 Dr. Challoner's Grammar School 18 
			 Buckinghamshire 110515 Sir William Borlase's Grammar School 12 
			 Buckinghamshire 110516 St. Bernard's Catholic School 15 
			 Buckinghamshire 110528 Beaconsfield High School 16 
			 Buckinghamshire 110529 The Chalfonts Community College 26 
			 Buckinghamshire 110530 The Royal Grammar School High Wycombe 26 
			 Buckinghamshire 110533 The Cottesloe School 14 
			 Buckinghamshire 110534 Waddesdon Church of England School 32 
			 Buckinghamshire 110535 Great Marlow School 26 
			 Buckinghamshire 110542 Holy Cross Convent School 1 
			 Buckinghamshire 110548 Stowe School 6 
			 Buckinghamshire 110573 Alfriston School 1 
			 Buckinghamshire 110581 Park School 4 
			 Buckinghamshire 110582 Heritage House School 1 
			 Buckinghamshire 110585 Furze Down School 8 
			 Buckinghamshire 130607 Aylesbury College 159 
			 Buckinghamshire 130608 Amersham and Wycombe College 260 
			 Buckinghamshire 133586 Penn School 1 
			 Milton Keynes 110487 Ousedale School 53 
			 Milton Keynes 110498 Denbigh School 42 
			 Milton Keynes 110502 Leon School and Sports College 31 
			 Milton Keynes 110517 St. Paul's Catholic School 58 
			 Milton Keynes 110526 Stantonbury Campus North 69 
			 Milton Keynes 110531 Lord Grey School 35 
			 Milton Keynes 110532 The Radcliffe School 41 
			 Milton Keynes 110567 Bury Lawn School 2 
			 Milton Keynes 110575 White Spire School 7 
			 Milton Keynes 110587 Slated Row School 12 
			 Milton Keynes 110592 The Redway School 3 
			 Milton Keynes 130609 Milton Keynes College 333 
			 Milton Keynes 131185 Shenley Brook End School 20 
			 Milton Keynes 131396 Walton High 36 
			 Oxfordshire 123231 Chipping Norton School 28 
			 Oxfordshire 123232 Banbury School 57 
			 Oxfordshire 123233 Bicester Community College 28 
			 Oxfordshire 123235 Burford School and Community College 22 
			 Oxfordshire 123237 The Henry Box School 28 
			 Oxfordshire 123238 Wood Green School 18 
			 Oxfordshire 123239 Bartholomew School 18 
			 Oxfordshire 123241 Gosford Hill School 40 
			 Oxfordshire 123242 Peers School 20 
			 Oxfordshire 123243 Wheatley Park School 33 
			 Oxfordshire 123251 The Cherwell School 38 
			 Oxfordshire 123252 Oxford Community School 30 
			 Oxfordshire 123253 Cheney School 29 
			 Oxfordshire 123255 Larkmead School 17 
			 Oxfordshire 123256 John Mason School 14 
			 Oxfordshire 123257 Fitzharrys School 14 
			 Oxfordshire 123258 Matthew Arnold School 17 
			 Oxfordshire 123259 St. Birinus School 20 
			 Oxfordshire 123260 Didcot Girls' School 31 
			 Oxfordshire 123261 Wallingford School 18 
			 Oxfordshire 123262 Faringdon Community College 11 
			 Oxfordshire 123263 King Alfred's Community and Sports College 49 
			 Oxfordshire 123267 The Marlborough Church of England School 22 
			 Oxfordshire 123268 Lord Williams's School 47 
			 Oxfordshire 123270 Blessed George Napier School 8 
			 Oxfordshire 123277 Kingham Hill School 3 
			 Oxfordshire 123278 Sibford School 3 
			 Oxfordshire 123282 The Oratory School 1 
			 Oxfordshire 123283 Cokethorpe School 2 
			 Oxfordshire 123285 Shiplake College 6 
			 Oxfordshire 123290 Headington School 11 
			 Oxfordshire 123298 Our Lady's Convent Senior School 8 
			 Oxfordshire 123310 Oxford High School GDST 4 
			 Oxfordshire 123311 Magdalen College School 2 
			 Oxfordshire 123312 Abingdon School 9 
			 Oxfordshire 123313 The School of St. Helen and St. Katharine 7 
			 Oxfordshire 123318 d'Overbroeck's College 2 
			 Oxfordshire 123331 Swalcliffe Park School Trust 2 
			 Oxfordshire 130789 The Henley College 160 
			 Oxfordshire 130793 Abingdon and Witney College 169 
			 Oxfordshire 132406 European School of Culham 1 
			 Oxfordshire 133430 St. Clare's Oxford 1 
			 Oxfordshire 133644 St. Gregory the Great VA Catholic Secondary School 31 
			 Oxfordshire 134153 Oxford and Cherwell College 319 
			 Total EMA students  3,260 
		
	
	(10) Data to 19 January 2005

Education, Youth and Culture Council

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the Government's priorities for the Education, Youth and Culture Council will be during the United Kingdom's Presidency of the European Union; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Operational Programme of the Council for 2005 submitted by the incoming Luxembourg and United Kingdom Presidencies and based on the Multi-Annual Strategic Programme for 2004–06 sets out priority areas of work in all policy areas, including education, youth and culture. A copy of the Annual Operation Programme for 2005 is available in the Library of the House.
	The focus of the programme is on the on-going handling of EU business. What will fall to the UK Presidency depends on the progress made by the Council, European Parliament and Commission under the Luxembourg Presidency. The programme reflects the main UK Presidency objectives and provides the basis for us to take forward our priorities.
	Key issues for the UK Presidency generally are likely to include progressing the delivery of the Lisbon agenda of more and better jobs, sustainable economic growth and greater competitiveness. In the Education part of the Council, we will aim to make good progress on the proposed new Integrated Lifelong Learning programme 2007–13. We will also begin work on the preparation of a report to the 2006 Spring European Council on the implementation of the detailed work programme 2010 for education and training systems agreed at Barcelona in spring 2002. In the Youth part of the Council, we will continue our negotiations on the Youth in Action programme for 2007–13. In the Culture and Audiovisual part of the Council, we will seek to move towards agreement on the proposed new culture programmes (2007–13) and the new Media programmes (2007–13). We will also seek to make progress on priority initiatives flowing from the new Culture Council work plan, in particular those on digitisation of cultural heritage and mobility of museum collections. In addition, we will take forward the preparatory work for a review of the Television without Frontiers (TVWF") directive.

Free Nursery Places

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in Hartlepool have benefited from free nursery places since the policy was introduced.

Margaret Hodge: All four-year-olds in England have been entitled to a free part-time early education place since September 1998. All three-year-olds in England have been entitled to a free part-time early education place since April 2004.
	The available information on the numbers of free part-time early education places taken up by three and four-year-olds in Hartlepool local education authority area is shown in the table.
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 39/2004 Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2004 (final)", which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.
	
		Number of free nursery education places(11) taken up 3 and 4-year-olds, Hartlepool local education authority area
		
			  3-year-olds 4-year-olds 
			 Position in January each year Maintained nursery and primary schools(13) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 3-year-olds Maintained nursery and primary schools(13) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers(14) Total 4-year-olds 
		
		
			 1997 1,100 n/a 1,100 n/a n/a (17)1,200 
			 1998 1,200 n/a 1,200 n/a n/a (17)1,300 
			 1999 1,200 n/a 1,200 n/a n/a (17)1,200 
			 2000 1,100 (15)40 1,100 n/a n/a (17)1,000 
			 2001 960 (15)30 1,000 n/a n/a (17)1,100 
			 2002 930 (15)90 1,000 1,100 (17)20 1,100 
			 2003 930 (15)80 1,000 1,100 20 1,100 
			 2004 950 (16)100 1,000 1,100 20 1,100 
		
	
	n/a = Not available.
	(11) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate.
	(12) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
	(13) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
	(14) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.
	(15) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
	(16) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.
	(17) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.

Free Nursery Places

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in Stoke-on-Trent have taken up free nursery places in each year since the policy was introduced.

Margaret Hodge: All four-year-olds in England have been entitled to a free part-time early education place since September 1998. All three-year-olds in England have been entitled to a free part-time early education place since April 2004.
	The available information on the numbers of free part-time early education places taken up by three and four year olds in Stoke on Trent local education authority Area is shown in the table.
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 39/2004 Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2004 (final)", which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.
	
		Number of free nursery education places(18) taken up by 3 and 4-year-olds, Stoke on Trent local education authority area 
		
			  3-year-olds 4-year-olds 
			 Position in January each year Maintained nursery and primary schools(19) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 3-year-olds Maintained nursery and primary schools(20) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 4-year-olds 
		
		
			 1997 1,200 n/a 1,200 n/a n/a (23)3,100 
			 1998 2,000 n/a 2,000 n/a n/a (23)3,000 
			 1999 2,000 n/a 2,000 n/a n/a (23)2,900 
			 2000 2,000 (21)290 2,300 n/a n/a (23)2,800 
			 2001 1,800 (21)370 2,200 n/a n/a (23)2,800 
			 2002 1,600 (21)450 2,100 2,800 (23)90 2,900 
			 2003 1,600 (21)640 2,300 2,700 (24)90 2,800 
			 2004 1,600 (22)600 2,200 2,600 (24)100 2,700 
		
	
	n/ a = Not available.
	(18) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate.
	(19) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
	(20) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
	(21) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
	(22) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.
	(23) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
	(24) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.

Free Nursery Places

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) three and (b) four-year-old children in Nottingham, North attended nursery in (i)1997 and (ii) the most recent period for which figures are available.

Margaret Hodge: All four-year-olds in England have been entitled to a free part-time early education place since September 1998. All three-year-olds in England have been entitled to a free part-time early education place since April 2004.
	The available information on the numbers of free part-time early education places taken up by three and four-year-olds in Nottingham, North parliamentary constituency and Nottingham City local education authority area is shown in the tables. Information for private and voluntary providers is available for Nottingham City but not for Nottingham, North.
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 39/2004 Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2004 (final)", which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.
	
		Number of free nursery education places(25)(5507280026) taken up 3 and 4–year-olds in maintained nursery and primary schools Nottingham, North parliamentary constituency area 1997and 2004
		
			   Maintained primary schools 
			 Position in January each year Maintained nursery schools Nursery classes Other classes(27) Total 
		
		
			 3-year-olds 
			 1997 0 850 0 850 
			 2004 0 900 10 920 
			 4-year-olds 
			 1997 0 1,300 170 1,400 
			 2004 0 800 360 1,200 
		
	
	(25) Headcount of children aged three and four at 31 December in the previous calendar year.
	(26) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate.
	(27) Includes reception classes and classes not designated as nursery classes.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census
	
		Number of free nursery education places(28) taken up three and four-year-olds Nottingham City local education authority area 1997 and 2004
		
			 Position in January each year Maintained nursery and primary schools(29)(5507280030) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 
		
		
			 3-year-olds
			 1997 1,800 n/a 1,800 
			 2004 2,200 (30)700 2,900 
			 4-year-olds
			 1997 n/a n/a (32)3,900 
			 2004 2,800 (33)400 3,200 
		
	
	n/a = Not available.
	1 Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate.
	(28) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
	(29) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.
	(30) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
	(31) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
	(32) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.

Free Nursery Places

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many three and four-year-olds in Stoke on Trent have benefited from the scheme guaranteeing a free part-time nursery place.

Margaret Hodge: All four-year-olds in England have been entitled to a free part-time early education place since September 1998. All three-year-olds in England have been entitled to a free part-time early education place since April 2004.
	The available information on the numbers of free part-time early education places taken up by three and four-year-olds in Stoke on Trent local education authority area is shown in the table.
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 39/2004 Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2004 (final)", which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.
	
		Number of free nursery education places taken up 3 and 4-year-olds—Stoke on Trent local education authority area
		
			  3-year-olds 4-year-olds 
			 Position in January each year Maintained nursery and primary schools(33) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 3-year-olds Maintained nursery and primary schools(34) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers(35) Total 4-year-olds 
		
		
			 1997 1,200 n/a 1,200 n/a n/a (36)3,100 
			 1998 2,000 n/a 2,000 n/a n/a (36)3,000 
			 1999 2,000 n/a 2,000 n/a n/a (36)2,900 
			 2000 2,000 (37)290 2,300 n/a n/a (36)2,800 
			 2001 1,800 (37)370 2,200 n/a n/a (36)2,800 
			 2002 1,600 (37)450 2,100 2,800 90 (36)2,900 
			 2003 1,600 (37)640 2,300 2,700 90 2,800 
			 2004 1,600 (38)600 2,200 2,600 100 2,700 
		
	
	n/a = Not available.
	(33) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
	(34) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
	(35) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.
	(36) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
	(37) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
	(38) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.

Freedom of Information

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what categories of information are available under Freedom of Information legislation that have not been provided in written parliamentary answers by her Department in the last three years.

Derek Twigg: The Freedom of Information Act" does not make specific categories of information available, but operates on the presumption that all information held by public authorities should be available, subject to the 24 exemptions of the Act.
	Whether or not information is exempt under the Act requires the exercise of judgement in each case. The majority of the exemptions also require that the public interest in releasing the information should be weighed against the public interest in withholding it. If the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in withholding it the information must be disclosed. The assessment of the public interest has to be made in all the circumstances of the case, on a case by case basis as far as each request is concerned. Therefore it is not possible to provide the information requested.

Higher Education

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of pupils went on to higher education from (a) maintained school sixth forms, (b) sixth form colleges, (c) further education colleges and (d) special schools in the last year for which figures are available.

Kim Howells: Information is not available on the numbers of pupils from different establishment types who went on to higher education. However, the Youth Cohort Study, which tracks a sample of young people from the year after they have finished compulsory education until the age of 19, can provide estimates of percentages from certain establishment types.
	Of the cohort of students who took their GCSEs in 1999, the proportion from each establishment type who were in higher education in either spring 2002 or spring 2003 were as follows:
	
		
			 Establishment Percentage 
		
		
			 School sixth forms 59 
			 Sixth form Colleges 59 
			 Further education colleges 32 
		
	
	Information is not available on those from special schools.

Non-resident Parents

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidelines have been issued on how much time a non-resident parent should have with their children.

Margaret Hodge: The Government do not provide guidelines specifying how much time non-resident parents should have with their children. The Government believe that children benefit from a meaningful relationship with both parents following divorce or separation, where it is safe to do so. The Children Act 1989 supports this and, most importantly, it makes the welfare of the child concerned, rather than the rights of the parents, its paramount consideration.
	In 2002 the Government published the Parenting Plans which contained a checklist of issues for parents to consider in making contact arrangements. We are currently developing a new edition of the Plans. The new Parenting Plans will contain a set of templates which seek to show parents the sort of contact arrangements that work well for children of different ages and who are living in a range of circumstances. They will describe, in practical terms, arrangements that are generally beneficial for children. They are intended to be used as practical aids, both by parents themselves and by solicitors, conciliators and mediators, to help parents to reach reasonable agreements. These will be made widely in solicitors' offices as well as through advice and mediation services.

NotSchool Project

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many participants there are in the NotSchool project; and how many are entered for formal accreditation.

Kim Howells: There are currently 553 participants (researchers") in the NotSchool.net project of statutory school age, and an additional 18 at post-16.
	Last academic year (2003–4) 98 per cent. of researchers achieved a formal accreditation, and current indications suggest a similar figure will be reached this academic year.

Parking Spaces

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many car parking spaces are provided for those (a) working in and (b) visiting her Department.

Derek Twigg: My Department provides 660 car parking spaces at it's four Headquarter sites. The breakdown is as follows:
	
		
			 Site Staff (includes spaces for disabled) Visitors 
		
		
			 Darlington 265 9 
			 Sheffield 176 24 
			 Runcorn 143 6 
		
	
	London has 37 car parking spaces and apart from spaces allocated for disabled staff the remainder are assigned to both staff/visitors according to availability.

Post-16 Education

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils were in post-16 education in each (a) local education authority and (b) learning and skills council area in the most recent period for which data are available; and what the participation rates were in each area in that period.

Kim Howells: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

Post-16 Education

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of children migrated (a) into and (b) out of each (i) local education authority and (ii) learning and skills council area to attend a 16–19 education establishment in the last period for which figures are available.

Kim Howells: 16 to 19-year-olds attend a range of establishments—schools, FE colleges, work-based learning providers. There is some harmonisation of the data collected—which allows the Department to report on participation rates. However, that harmonisation does not stretch to analyses about learners migrating into and out of LEA and LSC areas.
	As the information regarding 16 to 19-year-olds who attend maintained secondary schools with sixth forms is contained in a number of large tables, I have placed the tables in the House of Commons Library.
	Additionally, it is possible to analyse LSC funded Further Education by migration across boundaries.
	This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. I have therefore asked Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, to write to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested and to place a copy of his reply in the Library.

Post-graduate Certificate

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of applicants for Post-Graduate Certificate in Education courses in (a) primary and (b) secondary teaching obtained either a first or an upper second class honours degree in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kim Howells: holding answer 20 January 2005
	The available information is taken from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record and is given in the table.
	
		Proportion of Entrants(39) to Post Graduate Certificate in Education courses at English HEIs with a 1st or upper 2nd class honours degree, 2003/04
		
			 Phase of Education Number with 1st or upper 2nd class honours degree Percentage with 1st or upper 2nd class honours degree(40) 
		
		
			 Primary(41) 4,295 57 
			 Secondary(42) 7,945 57 
			 Further Education(43) 640 37 
			 Other (43) 15 53 
			 Total of known  phase of education 12,895 55 
			 Unknown 75 n/a 
			 Total 12,970 n/a 
		
	
	(39) Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December 2003.
	(40) Percentages are based upon those of known first degree classification. Those students with unknown degree classification and those students who do not hold a UK undergraduate degree are excluded.
	(41) Includes those studying to teach Foundation stage and Key Stage 1 (KS1) (ages 3–8)", KS1 and KS2 (ages 3–11)" and KS1 and KS2 (ages 5–11)".
	(42) Includes those studying to teach KS2 and KS3 (ages 7–14)", KS3 and KS4 (ages 11–16)", KS3, KS4 and post-16 (ages 11–18)" and KS4 and post-16 (ages 14–19)".
	(43) Includes students on courses not leading to qualified teacher status.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

School Governors

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of a school's governing body is required to be filled by parent governors for (a) community, (b) foundation, (c) voluntary aided, (d) voluntary controlled and (e) academy schools; and whether the proportion has changed since 1997.

Stephen Twigg: Before the introduction of the Education Act 2002 the number of each category of school governor on a school's governing body was fixed according to the type and size of school.
	Governing bodies can now choose their own size and the proportion of membership of the various stakeholder groups with an interest in the school: parents, staff, the local authority, the community, and the school's foundation body if it has one; in accordance with guiding principles. In all categories of maintained schools parents must constitute at least one third of the total governing body membership. This compares favourably with the proportion of governors of maintained schools required to be parents in 1997. The Academies programme was launched in March 2000 and the first Academies opened in 2002. Academies have different governance arrangements to maintained schools. Their Funding Agreements have required that at least one parent governor is represented on the Governing Body.

Secondment

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the people working within her Department on secondment from the private sector, broken down by (a) the organisation or industry they came from and (b) the policy responsibilities they have been given.

Derek Twigg: There are currently no people from the private sector working in the Department.

Sixth Form Colleges

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many sixth form colleges have been (a) opened and (b) closed since 1997.

Kim Howells: Since 1997, we have incorporated three new sixth form colleges in the FE sector, one of which was the result of the merger of two existing sixth form colleges. A further six sixth form colleges have been dissolved, with their property, rights and liabilities transferred to other FE sector colleges.

Special Educational Needs

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children with a statement of special educational needs have transferred from (a) mainstream schools to special or independent schools and (b) independent or special schools to mainstream schools in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 24 January 2005
	The requested information is given in the table.
	
		All children for whom local education authorities maintain statements of special educational needs—England
		
			  Children with statements who transferred: 
			 Children with statements who transferred during from mainstream schools to special or independent schools from special or independent schools to mainstream schools 
		
		
			 1997 4,030 870 
			 1998 4,390 1,020 
			 1999 4,510 1,140 
			 2000 4,770 1,090 
			 2001 5,250 1,150 
			 2002 4,860 1,020 
			 2003 5,100 1,230 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	SEN2 Survey

Special Educational Needs

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils with special educational needs are participating in 16–19 education in (a) maintained school sixth forms, (b) sixth form colleges, (c) further education colleges and (d) special schools.

Margaret Hodge: The available information relates to maintained school sixth forms and special schools only and is given in the table.
	Assessments of Special Educational Needs are not made outside schools in the LSC funded post-16 learning sector. So, it is not possible to provide figures on a consistent basis for sixth form colleges and further education colleges.
	
		Maintained secondary schools and all special schools(44): Number of pupils in sixth forms by stage of special educational need (SEN)(45)—As at January 2004, England
		
			  Pupils in year groups 12 to 14 
			   Special schools 
			  Secondary schools Maintained Non-maintained Total 
		
		
			 No special provision 324,330 10 80 90 
			 School action 6,530 (46)— 0 (46)— 
			 School action plus 1,920 40 10 50 
			 Total number of SEN pupils without statements 8,450 40 10 50 
			 Number of pupils with statement of SEN 2,510 7,020 860 7,880 
			 Total 335,280 7,070 950 8,020 
		
	
	(44) Excludes general hospital schools.
	(45) Full-time equivalent number of pupils in year groups 12, 13 or 14. Includes dually registered pupils.
	(46) Less than 5.
	Note:
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. There may be discrepancies between the sum of constituent items and totals as shown.
	Source:
	Annual Schools Census

Staff Vacancies

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much her Department spent on advertising staff vacancies in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003.

Derek Twigg: The following table gives the advertising costs for civil servants recruited to work within my Department for financial years 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04:
	
		£
		
			  Central recruitment relating to Grades AA-Grade 6 Senior civil service recruitment 
		
		
			 2001–02 187,890.24 111,266.54 
			 2002–03 134,016.11 256,669.66 
			 2003–04 124,026.77 170,603.38

Student Loan Company

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent representations she has received regarding problems with the Student Loan Company; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Secretary of State received a representation dated 5 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr. Bradley), on behalf of a constituent whose children received delayed student loan payments. I am going to reply, as I have ministerial responsibility for student support, to explain that this is now administered through a new system called Protocol", aimed at improving the administration of the system and in particular streamlining the application and assessment process. However, as with any new system, there were initial difficulties to overcome and we are now reviewing with the Student Loans Company what worked well and what could be improved.

Sure Start

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what the total expenditure on Sure Start was in each year that the scheme has been in operation;
	(2)  what proportion of the budget for Sure Start was spent on administration in each year that the scheme has been in operation.

Margaret Hodge: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Total expenditure (£ million) Proportion spent on administrative costs(47) (percentage) 
		
		
			 1999–2000 7 15 
			 2000–01 56 4 
			 2001–02 134 3 
			 2002–03 216 2 
			 2003–04 718 2 
		
	
	(47) Administrative costs comprises of salaries and general office administration costs for all activities undertaken by the wider Sure Start Unit, including its regional teams.
	The expenditure data quoted for 1999–00 to 2002–03 relate to Sure Start Local Programmes only (the Sure Start Scheme").
	During 2002, Sure Start merged with the Early Years and Childcare Functions and as a consequence, only combined data are available from 2003–04.

Sure Start

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what funding has been allocated to Stoke-on-Trent under the Sure Start scheme in each of the past three years;
	(2)  what the total expenditure on Sure Start in Stoke-on-Trent has been in each year since the scheme has been in operation;
	(3)  how many children have participated in Sure Start in Stoke-on-Trent in each year since the scheme has been in operation.

Margaret Hodge: There are six Sure Start local programmes in Stoke-on-Trent: Stoke North, Blurton, Longton South, Abbey Bucknall, Shelton Cobridge and Bentilee.
	Some £6.25 million of capital funding has been allocated to these programmes over the last three years.
	The amount of revenue funding allocated to these programmes since they began totals £14.67 million and is broken down as follows: 1999/2000—£0.14 million (Stoke North only); 2000/01—£1.07 million (Stoke North only); 2001/02—£1.48 million (Stoke North and Blurton only); 2002/03—£2.83 million (all current programmes except Bentilee); 2003/04—£4.49 million; 2004/05—£4.66 million.
	The figures for numbers of children participating in these Sure Start local programmes are available on a consistent basis only for the period from September 2002 to September 2004. Across these programmes, an average of 28 per cent. or 1,392 of the children aged four or under in the areas covered by the programmes were seen by their local programme in each quarter in 2002–03 and an average of 29 per cent. or 1,556 of the children in each quarter in 2003–04.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will include as part of the BBC charter renewal review consideration of allowing the BBC to continue developing its commercial activities in (a) the UK and (b) overseas.

Tessa Jowell: Every aspect of the BBC will be considered as part of Charter review. This will include the Corporation's commercial activities both in the UK and overseas.

Criminal Offences

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by her Department in the (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04 session, broken down by Act.

Richard Caborn: 72 criminal offences were created in legislation sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in the (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04 sessions. A list of these criminal offences, broken down by Act, has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Country Information Policy Unit Reports

Barbara Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who compiles the information in the Home Office Country Information Policy Unit reports that are referenced by asylum adjudicators and Home Office officials; and what their research and professional qualifications are.

Des Browne: The Home Office Country Information and Policy Unit (CIPU) is staffed by generalist civil servants. Although aptitude for research is an important element in selection of staff, it has not been considered necessary to staff the unit with professionally qualified researchers. This is because CIPU does not undertake primary" research. The country information material it produces is secondary" research—identifying and providing a summary of primary research carried out by others.
	The independent Advisory Panel on Country Information (APCI) has recommended that CIPU's research skills be strengthened by the introduction of professional research staff who would have supervisory, control and monitoring tasks in the preparation of Country Reports and other country information outputs. This recommendation is being addressed in the context of the reorganisation of CIPU's functions that I announced on 8 September 2004, Official Report, column 119WS.

Animal Experiments

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of trends in the number of animal experiments in the UK; and if his Department will take steps to reduce the number of experiments.

Caroline Flint: Trends in the number of animal experiments over the last few decades are recorded in the publication Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain 2003-Cm 6291, available in the Library—The Stationery Office Belfast publishes separate figures for animal experiments conducted in Northern Ireland. This shows that the number of scientific procedures using animals started in Great Britain in 2003—the latest year for which data are available—was just over 2.79 million, a rise of about 59,000 (2.2 per cent.) compared with 2002.
	There has overall been a significant reduction in the annual number of such scientific procedures since the 1970s and 1980s, but in recent years this trend has more or less levelled out. It is impossible to predict future trends, as many variable factors are involved.
	Reduction in experiments in particular programmes of work are achieved through implementation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which can be licensed only if the number of animals used is minimised. More generally the Government and the scientific community are continuing efforts to try to bring down the overall amount of animal experimentation, including through establishment of the UK National 3Rs centre and working with relevant international bodies.

Asylum Seekers

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Ministers were first advised that the target of 30,000 removals of failed asylum seekers in 2001–02 was unachievable.

Des Browne: Ministers were advised in July 2002 that the target had been revised.

Asylum Seekers

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many adults were tagged as an alternative to detaining asylum seeking families at the latest date for which figures are available;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of asylum-seeking families expected to be monitored through tagging by May 2005.

Des Browne: At 17 January 2005 nobody has been tagged as an alternative to detaining asylum-seeking families.
	A pilot to test three types of monitoring: voice recognition, tagging and tracking commenced in October 2004. The pilot will run until March 2005 when results will be evaluated. Subjects for the tagging pilot (40 in total) are being identified. The number of asylum-seeking families we expect to monitor through tagging during the pilot will depend on risk assessments carried out in individual cases. The number is unlikely to be high as the pilot is limited in numbers and in the majority of cases family members are detained only for a relatively short period immediately prior to removal.

Asylum Seekers

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of Afghan asylum seekers received (a) refugee status and (b) another form of protection from the UK Government in each quarter since 1997.

Des Browne: The table shows initial decision and appeal determinations by quarter, where available, for Afghan asylum applicants, 1997 to Q3 2004. Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period and appeal outcomes do not necessarily relate to initial decisions made in the same period.
	Information on asylum applications is published quarterly. The next publication covering the fourth quarter of 2004 will be available on the 22 February 2005 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	
		Initial decisions1 on asylum applications, by quarter, 1997 to Q3 2004—Nationals of Afghanistan
		
			   Cases considered under normal procedures Backlog clearance exercise 
			  Total initial decisions Grants of asylum Grants of ELR, HP  and DL(49) Total refusals Total backlog clearance exercise Backlog clearance ELR(50)(5507280051) Backlog clearance refusals(50)(5507280051) 
			   No. % No. % No. %  No. % No. % 
		
		
			 Q1 1997 230 10 3 210 91 15 6 — — — — — 
			 Q2 1997 190 5 2 160 83 30 16 — — — — — 
			 Q3 1997 160 5 2 135 84 25 14 — — — — — 
			 Q4 1997 150 5 3 135 91 10 6 — — — — — 
			 Q1 1998 335 5 2 290 87 40 12 — — — — — 
			 Q2 1998 355 5 1 345 97 5 1 — — — — — 
			 Q3 1998 640 10 2 620 97 10 1 — — — — — 
			 Q4 1998 270 15 5 245 90 15 5 — — — — — 
			 1999(53) 1,295 15 1 1,180 91 90 7 10 10 100 — 0 
			 Q1 2000 265 15 5 80 30 170 64 5 5 100 — 0 
			 Q2 2000 370 30 8 120 32 220 59 5 5 100 — 0 
			 Q3 2000 480 40 8 100 21 335 70 * * 100 — 0 
			 Q4 2000 1,470 290 20 395 27 785 53 — — — — — 
			 Q1 2001 4,475 810 18 2,650 59 1,015 23 — — — — — 
			 Q2 2001 3,035 655 22 1,830 60 550 18 — — — — — 
			 Q3 2001 2,415 550 23 1,360 56 505 21 — — — — — 
			 Q4 2001 2,440 310 13 1,655 68 475 20 — — — — — 
			 Q1 2002 3,045 35 1 2,395 79 610 20 — — — — — 
			 Q2 2002 2,180 20 1 1,710 78 450 21 — — — — — 
			 Q3 2002 1,765 30 2 520 29 1,215 69 — — — — — 
			 Q4 2002 1,190 30 2 145 12 1,020 86 — — — — — 
			 Q1 2003(54) 1,265 10 1 205 16 1,050 83 — — — — — 
			 Q2 2003(54) 1,250 15 1 120 9 1,115 89 — — — — — 
			 Q3 2003(54) 790 5 1 110 14 670 85 — — — — — 
			 Q4 2003(54) 675 10 1 125 18 545 80 — — — — — 
			 Q1 2004(54) 565 10 2 110 20 445 78 — — — — — 
			 Q2 2004(54) 700 5 1 75 11 620 88 — — — — — 
			 Q3 2004(54) 980 10 1 125 13 845 86 — — — — — 
		
	
	(48) Figures rounded to nearest 5, with * = 1 or 2. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
	(49) Humanitarian protection and discretionary leave replaced exceptional leave to remain from 1 April 2003.
	(50) Cases decided under pragmatic measures aimed at reducing the pre 96 act asylum backlog.
	(51) May include a small number of cases where asylum has been granted.
	(52) May include a small number of cases where the application has been refused on substantive grounds.
	(53) Annual data only available,
	(54) Provisional figures.

Asylum Seekers

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of Iraqi asylum seekers received (a) refugee status and (b) another form of protection from the UK Government in each quarter since 1997.

Des Browne: The tables show initial decision and appeal determinations by quarter, where available, for Iraqi asylum applicants, 1997 to Q3 2004. Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period and appeal outcomes do not necessarily relate to initial decisions made in the same period.
	Information on asylum applications is published quarterly. The next publication covering the fourth quarter of 2004 will be available on the 22 February 2005 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	
		Initial decisions(55) on asylum applications, by quarter, 1997 to Q3 2004—Nationals of Iraq
		
			   Cases considered under normal procedures Backlog clearance exercise 
			  Total initial decisions Grants of asylum Grants of ELR, HP  and DL(56) Total refusals Total backlog clearance exercise Backlog clearance ELR(57)(5507280058) Backlog clearance refusals(57)(5507280058) 
			   No. % No. % No. %  No. % No. % 
		
		
			 Q1 1997 155 55 35 80 51 20 14 — — — — — 
			 Q2 1997 180 60 34 80 45 40 21 — — — — — 
			 Q3 1997 190 70 36 80 43 40 22 — — — — — 
			 Q4 1997 140 70 51 55 41 10 8 — — — — — 
			 Q1 1998 105 55 53 40 39 10 8 — — — — — 
			 Q2 1998 225 110 48 95 42 20 10 — — — — — 
			 Q3 1998 410 180 44 195 48 30 8 — — — — — 
			 Q4 1998 360 170 47 165 46 25 7 — — — — — 
			 1999(60) 735 315 42 320 43 100 14 5 5 86 * 14 
			 Q1 2000 795 140 18 535 67 120 15 — — 0 — 0 
			 Q2 2000 1,775 340 19 1,220 69 215 12 5 5 80 * 20 
			 Q3 2000 1,345 235 18 625 46 485 36 5 5 100 — 0 
			 Q4 2000 1,605 125 8 80 5 1,400 81 — — — — — 
			 Q1 2001 3,340 250 8 400 12 2,690 81 — — — — — 
			 Q2 2001 2,055 200 10 390 19 1,470 71 — — — — — 
			 Q3 2001 1,920 185 10 515 27 1,220 63 — — — — — 
			 Q4 2001 1,715 195 17 585 34 935 55 — — — — — 
			 Q1 2002 2,595 230 9 1,455 56 910 35 — — — — — 
			 Q2 2002 2,565 195 8 1,785 69 585 23 — — — — — 
			 Q3 2002 3,085 150 5 2,265 73 665 22 — — — — — 
			 Q4 2002 3,660 135 4 2,690 73 835 23 — — — — — 
			 Q1 2003(61) 2,955 65 2 2,105 71 785 27 — — — — — 
			 Q2 2003(61) 355 5 1 5 1 350 98 — — — — — 
			 Q3 2003(61) 1,805 * 0 15 1 1,790 99 — — — — — 
			 Q4 2003(61) 1,690 * 0 30 2 1,660 98 — — — — — 
			 Q1 2004(61) 1,640 5 0 70 4 1,570 96 — — — — — 
			 Q2 2004(61) 1,230 — 0 20 2 1,210 98 — — — — — 
			 Q3 2004(61) 1,460 — 0 45 3 1,415 97 — — — — — 
		
	
	(55) Figures rounded to nearest 5, with * = 1 or 2. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
	(56) Humanitarian protection and discretionary leave replaced exceptional leave to remain from 1 April 2003.
	(57) Cases decided under pragmatic measures aimed at reducing the pre-1996 Act asylum backlog.
	(58) May include a small number of cases where asylum has been granted.
	(59) May include a small number of cases where the application has been refused on substantive grounds.
	(60) Annual data only available.
	(61) Provisional figures.

Asylum Seekers

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of asylum seekers from Somalia received (a) refugee status and (b) another form of protection from the UK Government in each quarter since 1997.

Des Browne: The tables show initial decision and appeal determinations by quarter, where available, for Somalia asylum applicants, 1997 to Q3 2004. Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period and appeal outcomes do not necessarily relate to initial decisions made in the same period.
	Information on asylum applications is published quarterly. The next publication covering the fourth quarter of 2004 will be available on the February 2005 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	
		Initial decisions(62)on asylum applications, by quarter, 1997 to Q3 2004—Nationals of Somalia
		
			   Cases considered under normal procedures 
			   Grants of asylum Grants of ELR , HP and DL(63) Total refusals 
			  Total initial decisions Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Q1 1997 505 5 1 405 81 90 18 
			 Q2 1997 205 55 26 * 0 150 73 
			 Q3 1997 535 145 27 335 63 55 10 
			 Q4 1997 1,065 780 73 275 26 10 1 
			 Q1 1998 1,040 705 68 320 31 15 2 
			 Q2 1998 510 450 89 30 6 25 5 
			 Q3 1998 760 710 94 15 2 35 4 
			 Q4 1998 495 465 94 10 2 20 4 
			 1999(67) 310 130 37 55 16 120 35 
			 Q1 2000 915 415 45 310 33 190 21 
			 Q2 2000 6,845 3,790 55 2,680 39 375 5 
			 Q3 2000 1,910 660 34 410 21 840 43 
			 Q4 2000 1,585 450 28 180 11 960 60 
			 Q1 2001 2,695 1,035 38 600 22 1,060 39 
			 Q2 2001 1,780 740 41 470 26 575 32 
			 Q3 2001 1,860 460 25 475 26 920 50 
			 Q4 2001 2,100 675 32 455 22 970 46 
			 Q1 2002 1,765 675 38 480 27 610 35 
			 Q2 2002 1,455 585 40 340 24 530 36 
			 Q3 2002 1,775 655 37 390 22 730 41 
			 Q4 2002 1,745 605 35 190 11 950 54 
			 Q1 2003(68) 2,025 685 34 160 8 1,180 58 
			 Q2 2003(68) 1,220 410 34 90 7 720 59 
			 Q3 2003(68) 1,370 390 28 130 9 850 62 
			 Q4 2003(68) 1,435 180 12 175 12 1,085 75 
			 Q1 2004(68) 1,265 115 9 160 13 990 78 
			 Q2 2004(68) 845 115 14 120 14 610 72 
			 Q3 2004(68) 595 100 17 90 15 410 69 
		
	
	
		
			   Total backlog clearance exercise 
			   Backlog clearance ELR3, 4 Backlog clearance Refusals3, 5 
			  Total backlog clearance exercise Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Q1 1997 — — — — — 
			 Q2 1997 — — — — — 
			 Q3 1997 — — — — — 
			 Q4 1997 — — — — — 
			 Q1 1998 — — — — — 
			 Q2 1998 — — — — — 
			 Q3 1998 — — — — — 
			 Q4 1998 — — — — — 
			 1999(67) 40 35 83 5 17 
			 Q1 2000 5 5 57 5 43 
			 Q2 2000 25 15 71 5 29 
			 Q3 2000 40 35 85 5 15 
			 Q4 2000 — — — — — 
			 Q1 2001 — — — — — 
			 Q2 2001 — — — — — 
			 Q3 2001 — — — — — 
			 Q4 2001 — — — — — 
			 Q1 2002 — — — — — 
			 Q2 2002 — — — — — 
			 Q3 2002 — — — — — 
			 Q4 2002 — — — — — 
			 Q1 2003(68) — — — — — 
			 Q2 2003(68) — — — — — 
			 Q3 2003(68) — — — — — 
			 Q4 2003(68) — — — — — 
			 Q1 2004(68) — — — — — 
			 Q2 2004(68) — — — — — 
			 Q3 2004(68) — — — — — 
		
	
	(62)Figures rounded to nearest 5, with * = 1 or 2. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
	(63)Humanitarian protection and discretionary leave replaced exceptional leave to remain from 1 April 2003.
	(64)Cases decided under pragmatic measures aimed at reducing the pre 1996 act asylum backlog.
	(65)May include a small number of cases where asylum has been granted.
	(66)May include a small number of cases where the application has been refused on substantive grounds.
	(67)Annual data only available.
	(68)Provisional figures.

Asylum Seekers

Barbara Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases lesbian and gay applicants have been refused asylum in the last five years on the grounds that they will not be persecuted if they return to their home countries and hide their sexuality.

Des Browne: Asylum applications are decided on an individual case by case basis. Information on how many cases have been refused asylum on the grounds that they will not be persecuted because of their homosexuality is not available and could therefore be available only by examination of individual case records.

Asylum Seekers

Barbara Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applicants have won refugee status in the UK in the last five years on the basis of a well-founded fear of persecution because of their homosexuality.

Des Browne: Asylum applications are decided on an individual case by case basis. Information on how many cases have been granted asylum on the basis of a well-founded fear of persecution because of their homosexuality is not available and could be available only by examination of individual case records.

Asylum Seekers

Barbara Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of asylum applicants in 2004 claiming a well-founded fear of persecution because of their homosexuality were refused asylum.

Des Browne: Asylum applications are decided on an individual case by case basis. Information on how many cases have been refused asylum on the basis of a well-founded fear of persecution because of their homosexuality is not available and could be available only by examination of individual case records.

Botox

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will eliminate the LD50 test as a regulatory instrument for the safety and potency testing of Botox, in favour of in-vitro methods; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Botox is the trade name for one of the products containing botulinum toxin. International and UK regulations concerning safety and efficacy of medicines require testing for botulinum toxin products at various stages of their processing, from harvesting through to marketing as a finished product for use as a prescription-only medicine.
	The Home Office and all others concerned with conducting and regulating such testing are committed to moving to less severe testing procedures as soon as it becomes practicable to do so. The laboratories involved in ensuring that botulinum toxin products are safe for therapeutic use (the only use for which animal tests are licensed) are already gaining expertise in non-animal methods to this end.
	The European Pharmacopoeia states that the potency of the toxin as a reconstituted product is determined by an LD50 assay in mice (the reference method), or by a method validated with respect to the LD50 assay. Unfortunately there is at present no accepted and validated alternative to the LD50 test for determining the potency of botulinum toxin at the production stage. Other methods, including an in vitro test, can additionally be employed, and are being used, for example when confirmatory assay of potency is needed.
	Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 only the test method which causes the least animal suffering, while achieving the scientific objective, can be licensed in the UK. This means that in vitro tests must be used wherever possible and, when there is no non-animal alternative, animal suffering must be minimised by use of the mildest procedures available. Conditions on project licences require this, so that when a less severe validated alternative to the LD50 test becomes available, it must be used.

Class A Drug Arrests

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests for Class A drug possession took place in Hartlepool last year.

Caroline Flint: Data for Class A drug possession arrests is currently not collated in the format requested.
	Information on the number of known drug offenders found guilty or cautioned for Class A drugs and the number of possession offences in the Cleveland police force area are available in the Area tables, of the Drug seizure and offender statistics, United Kingdom", United Kingdom, 2001 and 2002, for which figures are currently available. Copies are available in the Library of the House.

Country Information Policy Unit Reports

Barbara Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the sources of the information in the Home Office Country Information Policy Unit reports are; what checks are made to verify their accuracy; and how often those reports are updated.

Des Browne: The Home Office Country Information and Policy Unit (CIPU) produces Country Reports on the 20 countries that generate the largest number of asylum applications in the UK. They are issued twice a year, at the end of April and October and are published on the Home Office website. The reports are used by Home Office officials involved in the asylum and human rights determination process.
	The reports are compiled from a wide variety of well respected, independent and publicly available sources. These sources include intergovernmental organisations (such as the UN), governmental sources (including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) and human rights organisations (for example Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch). All information in each report is attributed, throughout the text, to the original source material. The Country Reports do not contain any Home Office opinion or policy—they are essentially a compilation of material produced by other organisations.
	We are firmly committed to ensuring that the country information material produced to inform asylum decisions meets the highest standards. Under the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, we have established the independent Advisory Panel on Country Information (APCI) to provide rigorous independent external scrutiny of country information material produced by the Home Office and make recommendations to help ensure that it is of the highest quality. The APCI is proving to be very effective in fulfilling its function.

Departmental Electrical Equipment

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many items of electrical equipment were used by his Department in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by (a) cost and (b) number of each type of item.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information requested is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Expenditure

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how much has been spent by his Department on lighting in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how much has been spent by his Department on (a) new furniture and (b) hired furniture in each year since 1997;
	(3)  how much has been spent by his Department on (a) indoor bought plants, (b) indoor hired plants, (c) outdoor bought plants and (d) outdoor hired plants in each year since 1997.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Documents

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months.

Fiona Mactaggart: The department follows standards set by The National Archives (TNA). Both electronic and paper documents are created as part of its business. They are held for as long as required in line with set retention periods. When no longer required by the business they are then appraised for transfer to TNA as a significant historical record or destroyed. The destruction of documents is determined according to whether or not they are confidential. Confidential material will be destroyed using shredders or specialist disposal companies. The department's policies for managing its records, their retention, and disposal has remained constant.

Drug Trafficking

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women were convicted of trafficking (i) class A drugs and (ii)cannabis from Africa to the UK in each of the last five years.

Caroline Flint: It is not possible from the information held on the Home Office Court Proceedings database to identify men or women convicted of trafficking drugs from Africa to the UK.

Drug-related Crime

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost of crime committed by a heroin addict in the UK was for the latest period for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: Estimates of the costs of drug-related crime are not available by individual drug type. However, a recent study published by the Home Office provides estimates of the total economic and social costs of Class A drug use. It estimates that the criminal justice costs associated with problematic drug use range between £2.0 and £3.6 billion in 2000. The majority of these costs are attributable to heroin and crack cocaine users. The cost per user is estimated to be £7,013 per annum. These costs include arrest and police detention costs and those accruing to courts and prisons. The study also estimates the victim costs of drug-related crime, including these in the total increases the range of estimates to £8.8 to £15.8 billion—around £31,200 per user per annum.

External Supplies

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many tenders were let by his Department to external suppliers in the financial year 2003–04; and what the value was.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office does not hold a central record of the number or value of tenders let by the Department in each financial year, to obtain this information would incur disproportionate costs.

Firearms

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the firearms seized under Operation Stealth were legally registered firearms; how many were found to have been used in crimes; and of these, how many had been used by the registered owner.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Football Banning Orders

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many football banning orders have been issued in each year since 1997, broken down by area in which the offender resides.

Caroline Flint: Football Banning Orders in their current form were introduced by the Football (Disorder) Act 2000. Detailed information on earlier versions is not available. However, Table 1 provides the total number of Football Banning Orders imposed each year since enactment of the 2000 Act. As at 20 January 2005 there are 2,771 Football Banning Orders in place. Table 2 provides details of the police authority area in which the subjects reside.
	
		Table 1
		
			  Number of football banning orders imposed 
		
		
			 2000 182 
			 2001 582 
			 2002 709 
			 2003 808 
			 2004 1,238 
			 2005 32 
		
	
	
		Table 2
		
			 Police authority area Individuals currently subject to a football banning order 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset constabulary 22 
			 Bedfordshire police 12 
			 Cambridgeshire constabulary 40 
			 Cheshire constabulary 39 
			 Cleveland constabulary 64 
			 Cumbria constabulary 33 
			 Derbyshire constabulary 88 
			 Devon and Cornwall constabulary 39 
			 Dorset police 5 
			 Durham constabulary 11 
			 Dyfed-Powys police 0 
			 Essex police 36 
			 Gloucestershire constabulary 0 
			 Greater Manchester police 272 
			 Gwent constabulary 1 
			 Hampshire constabulary 136 
			 Hertfordshire constabulary 39 
			 Humberside police 71 
			 Kent constabulary 3 
			 Lancashire constabulary 91 
			 Leicestershire constabulary 45 
			 Lincolnshire constabulary 30 
			 Merseyside police 58 
			 Metropolitan police 304 
			 Norfolk constabulary 25 
			 North Wales police 69 
			 North Yorkshire police 22 
			 Northamptonshire constabulary 8 
			 Northumbria police 92 
			 Nottinghamshire constabulary 55 
			 South Wales police 265 
			 South Yorkshire police 161 
			 Staffordshire police 158 
			 Suffolk constabulary 12 
			 Surrey police 0 
			 Sussex police 9 
			 Thames Valley police 28 
			 Warwickshire constabulary 0 
			 West Mercia constabulary 26 
			 West Midlands police 251 
			 West Yorkshire police 131 
			 Wiltshire constabulary 20

Identity Cards

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the proposed identity card will contain an individual's address on the face of the card; what controls will apply to the release of an individual's address to individuals or organisations contacting the databank; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The Identity Cards Bill sets out the information that may be held on the National Identity Register and includes address. The Bill does not specify what information will be recorded on the card face or the card chip and this will be set out in regulations, approved by Parliament. There have been no final decisions on whether address would be displayed on the card.
	The Bill sets out to whom information could be provided with, and without consent. Address information could be provided (i) with consent of the individual under Clause 14, (ii) as part of a required identity check for public services under Clauses 15–17 if Parliament agreed the necessary order or (iii) without consent under Clauses 19–22 if it is to one of the organisations specified under those clauses, for the purposes specified either in those clauses or in regulations made under those clauses.

Identity Cards

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures he proposes to introduce to enable individuals to challenge information about them held on the proposed identity card.

Des Browne: All individuals recorded on the National Identity Register will have data subject access rights under the Data Protection Act.
	The Government are also looking at ways of ensuring that an individual will be able to read his card, and Register-entry, easily.
	Where an individual notifies us of an error, we will have processes to ensure that we are satisfied that the information provided is correct. This would include ensuring that this information was indeed provided by the correct individual and, where relevant, that the information is confirmed by the party responsible for maintaining that information. We would confirm with the individual that the updated information has been recorded.

Identity Cards

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures he proposes to introduce to delete erroneous information held on the proposed identity card.

Des Browne: Generally speaking, a modification of details recorded on the National Identity Register would take place because an individual has told us of a change of details. In this case, we will have processes to ensure that we are satisfied that the information provided is correct, which would include ensuring that this information was indeed provided by the correct individual. We would confirm with the individual that the updated information has been recorded. A record of the previous details would be held.
	The other situation by which we could receive information that might lead to a modification is if information is provided to us for the purpose of validating information recorded in the Register. As information is likely to be provided to us for validation purposes, prior to attendance at an enrolment centre, we would be able to inquire as to any inconsistencies at the enrolment session.
	All applicants will have data subject access rights under the Data Protection Act and we are looking at ways of ensuring that an individual will be able to read his card, and Register-entry, easily.

Identity Cards

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his latest estimate is of the number of machines to read the proposed identity cards which will be required by (a) police authorities, (b) health authorities, (c) social services departments, (d) benefit agencies and (e) local education authorities.

Des Browne: The Identity Cards Programme is working with a wide range of organisations to develop an understanding of the benefits that the scheme will deliver. As part of these discussions the programme is continuing to develop estimates of the number of card readers required.

Identity Cards

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether individuals will have access to all information about them held on the proposed identity card.

Des Browne: The Data Protection Act will apply to the identity card scheme, including the National Identity Register and existing subject access rights under that Act will apply. The Data Protection Act does include exemptions that ensure that information that might not be in the public interest to disclose, would not have to be provided. We are also looking at ways of ensuring that an individual will be able to read his card, and Register-entry, easily.

Identity Cards

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2005, Official Report, column 304W, on identity cards, what tasks are being undertaken by (a) the civil servants, (b) the secondee from the Metropolitan Police and (c) the secondee from the UK Passport Service.

Des Browne: The civil servants conduct a range of tasks to fulfil current programme needs. This includes work to support the passage of legislation, policy development, scheme design, benefits management and business case development. The secondee from the Metropolitan Police Service is leading the benefits management work. The secondee from the UK Passport Service is working on transition planning for the new agency.

Identity Cards

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2005, Official Report, column 304W, on identity cards, what tasks are being undertaken by (a) the secondee from Shreeveport Management Consultancy and (b) the consultants from PA Consulting Group Ltd.

Des Browne: The Programme team is made up of civil servants, secondees and consultants working together to support the needs of the programme. This includes work to support; the passage of legislation, policy management, scheme design, benefits management and business case management. PA consulting are working in all of these areas. The secondee from Shreeveport Management Consultancy is working on transition planning for the new agency.

Identity Cards

Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which EU member states require their citizens to possess identity cards.

Des Browne: holding answer 24 January 2004
	Of the 25 EU member states, 21 have identity cards; 12 have a compulsory system and nine have a voluntary system. The 12 countries which have a compulsory system are: Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Spain.

Identity Cards

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures will be introduced to enable individuals to ascertain which Government Departments and agencies have asked to see information held on them on the proposed identity card.

Des Browne: The Data Protection Act contains general rules on notification rights and these have been carefully considered and drafted to ensure compliance with the underlying EU directive. These rules will apply to the ID cards scheme.
	Any person who is concerned that information has been provided without their knowledge or consent would have data subject access rights under the Data Protection Act. Therefore it would be possible to view information relating to circumstances where information has been provided where there is no reason for the information to be exempted under the Data Protection Act. An example of an exemption would be where information had been provided to the police in connection with a criminal investigation.

Biometric Passports

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the results of the UK Passport Service biometrics pilot will be made public.

Des Browne: The UKPS Biometrics Enrolment Trial final report will be delivered in February 2005. Quality Assurance of the report will follow and the outcome of the trial released during March 2005.

Biometric Passports

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of (a) police officers and (b) police staff have submitted DNA samples to the police DNA elimination database.

Caroline Flint: The provision of a DNA sample by police personnel for inclusion on the Police Elimination Database (FED) is voluntary for those who were in employment by the police when the Database was set up in 2000. It is a condition of service for personnel who have joined the police since 1 August 2002.
	Approximately 39 per cent. of all police officers and police staff have submitted a DNA sample for inclusion on the Police Elimination Database. A breakdown is not available of the numbers submitted by police officers and police staff.
	As at 21 January 2005, there were 78,639 DNA profiles taken from serving officers and police staff in England and Wales retained on the PED. Of these, 62,518 profiles were from police officers and 4,325 from police staff. This represents 44 per cent. of police officers and 5.8 per cent. of police staff.
	It was estimated in 2000 at the inception of the PED that approximately 75,000 officers and other police service staff needed to be on the Database because of their role at crime scenes. The vast majority of police officers and police staff who attend crime scenes or handle forensic material now have a DNA profile retained on the Police Elimination Database.

Biometric Passports

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the length of time it will take to check biometric passports at airports, compared with non-biometric passports; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The new biometric passports (ePassports) will have a chip that is to be read by readers located at airports. While all ePassports should conform to a number of international standards, there remains room for interpretation, and thus there will be differences in the way the passports are presented to, and read by, the readers. The time taken to read an ePassport will therefore depend upon the nationality of the ePassport presented and the make/model of the scanner to which it is presented. Trials to assess the interoperability of nations' ePassports and candidate readers are being conducted by some 20 nations. UKPS is fully involved in these. In addition we will be conducting our own tests in UK on a variety of ePassport/reader combinations.
	Until satisfactory interoperability can be demonstrated between UK preferred readers and a range of ePassports from other nations, the time to check biometric passports at UK airports cannot be accurately determined. However, current test results indicate that the average reading time is likely to fall in the range 7–10 seconds. It is difficult to make direct and meaningful comparison with non-biometric passport checks since this depends on the actual processes involved.

Biometric Passports

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether individuals applying for a biometric passport will be required to submit (a) a standard passport photograph and (b) a higher-resolution photograph taken by other means; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: Applicants for passport renewal or the issue of a first passport will be required to submit a photograph that meets the recently issued ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) standards.
	Guidance has been issued and is readily available to the public by means of a detailed leaflet included with passport application forms. It advises on acceptable poses, headwear and facial expression in particular. We have been working with industry over the past year to ensure that photobooths and other photographic equipments are able to produce photographs that meet the new technical standards. It is therefore the expectation that an applicant will be easily able to obtain a photograph from a source that declares itself in conformance with UKPS standards as they have done hitherto.
	UKPS is also modifying its own passport processing systems to scan these photographs to the higher resolution needed to meet the biometric passport standard.

Knives

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry proposals for introduction of a code of practice for retailers selling knives that would distinguish between advertising the sale of blades for domestic purposes and promoting the sale of combat knives.

Caroline Flint: Advertisements for the sale of weapons and knives in the printed media are subject to a self-regulatory system of controls administered by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) through its Code of Practice. The Code provides that advertisements should contain nothing that condones or is likely to provoke violence or anti-social behaviour. In addition, it is an offence to market a knife in a way which indicates that it is suitable for combat, or is otherwise likely to stimulate violent behaviour.
	We are committed to tackling knife crime and we will discuss proposals to do this with all relevant Government Departments.

Managed Migration Directorate

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria caseworkers at the Managed Migration Directorate were instructed to consider when determining applications for the right of establishment in business under EU association agreements from (a) 1 June 2003 until August 2003, (b) August 2003 to February 2004 and (c) February 2004 until 30 April 2004.

Des Browne: The information is as follows.
	(a) Applicants for the right of establishment in business under EC Association Agreements(ECAA) in the period 1 June 2003 until August 2003 were required to satisfy the following basic criteria:
	that they held a national passport of one of the countries covered by the EC Association Agreements
	that if they were switching from another immigration category they had valid leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom or applied no longer than 10 days after the expiry of that leave
	that they could provide evidence of a certain level of funds
	that they produced a credible business plan
	that they provided a declaration indicating that they were going to be self-employed and would not resort to claiming public funds.
	(b) In the period August 2003 until February 2004 caseworkers were subsequently instructed that applicants from the relevant qualifying countries who produced a passport with valid leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom and a business plan would be granted 12 months leave. This was subject to there being no other concerns about the application.
	(c) In the period 10 February 2004 until 8 March 2004 caseworkers were instructed as far as switching cases were concerned, with the exception of illegal entrants and those who had overstayed their leave by more than 10 days, to grant applicants 12 months leave to remain. Those seeking further leave to remain provided they had not overstayed their original period of leave by six months were granted a further three years leave to remain.

Motoring Offences

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many prosecutions for (a) driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle with excess alcohol and (b) being in charge of a motor vehicle with excess alcohol (i) Essex police and (ii)Southend police have brought successfully in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many prosecutions for (a) driving or attempting to drive a mechanically propelled vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs and (b) being in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs (i) Essex police and (ii)Southend police have brought successfully in each year since 1997;
	(3)  how many prosecutions for motor manslaughter offences (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police have brought successfully in each year since 1997;
	(4)  how many prosecutions for (a) dangerous driving and (b) careless or inconsiderate driving (i)Essex police and (ii) Southend police have brought successfully in each year since 1997;
	(5)  how many prosecutions for driving with uncorrected sight (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police have brought successfully in each year since 1997;
	(6)  how many prosecutions for (a) causing death by dangerous driving and (b) causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs (i)Essex police and (ii) Southend police have brought successfully in each year since 1997.

Caroline Flint: Available information taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database for Essex police force area and South East Essex petty sessional area, 1997 to 2002 (latest available) are given in the Tables.
	Offences of manslaughter by driving" cannot be identified separately from total manslaughter offences. And offences of driving with uncorrected sight" cannot be separately identified from other summary driving licence offences.
	2003 data will be available in March 2005.
	
		Table C: Findings of guilt at all courts for specific motoring offences(69)within south east Essex PSA(70)(5507280071), 1997 to 2002 -- Number of offences
		
			 Offence type 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Causing death by dangerous driving [RTA88 S1 as amended] — — — — — — 
			 Causing death by careless driving under influence of drink or drugs [RTA88 S3A as added] — — — — — — 
			 Dangerous driving [RTA88 S2 as amended] 23 24 23 11 16 17 
			 Unfit to drive through drink or drugs(impairment) [RTA88 S4(1)] 8 4 10 5 5 21 
			 In charge of motor vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs (Impairment) [RTA88 34(2)] 1 — 5 2 2 — 
			 Driving without due care and attention [RTA88 S3] 366 401 380 342 381 231 
		
	
	(69)Covers offences under legislation pertaining to the involvement of a motor vehicle (i.e. mechanically propelled vehicle intended or adapted for use on roads, and includes motor cycles, motor scooters, mechanically propelled invalid carriages, road rollers and tractors).
	(70)Covers Southend and includes parts of Rayleigh, Benfleet and Canvey.
	(71)Includes findings of guilt for south east Essex PSA and findings of guilt at Southend Crown court.

Parking Spaces

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many car parking spaces are provided for those (a) working in and (b) visiting his Department.

Fiona Mactaggart: An internal survey undertaken in July 2003 showed that there were 27,146 spaces on the Home Office estate. Of these over 21,158 were at Prison Service establishments, which employ 48,133 staff.
	There were 326 spaces, which were specifically reserved for visitors and a further 169 reserved disabled spaces. However, many sites do not specifically reserve spaces for visitors, so the figure is not a true reflection of the number of visitors who use our car parks.
	As at 1 January 2005 there were 107 car parking spaces available in the Central London Headquarters estate. Of these six are reserved for Orange Badge holders. There are no spaces specifically reserved for visitors. The new Home Office headquarters building at 2 Marsham Street, which the Department is due to take over responsibility for on 26 January 2005 will have 87 spaces, of which 12 are reserved for visitors, and 17 for Orange Badge holders. The numbers of spaces on the current Headquarters estate will reduce as we vacate the buildings, with 90 due to go when we vacate Queen Anne's Gate in April 2005.

Parliamentary Questions

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many written questions for his Department were unanswered when Parliament Prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003–04 Session.

Fiona Mactaggart: The total number of written questions for which a substantive answer was not provided before the end of Session was 245. The Department did provide substantive answers to 496 Parliamentary Questions in the four days up to Prorogation. The number of unanswered questions tabled by each month of the previous Session are provided in the table:
	
		
			 Month Number of questions unanswered 
		
		
			 2003  
			 November 0 
			 December 0 
			 2004  
			 January 1 
			 February 4 
			 March 1 
			 April 1 
			 May 0 
			 June 0 
			 July 7 
			 August 0 
			 September 4 
			 October 45 
			 November 180 
			 Total 245 
		
	
	Ministers make every effort to answer questions substantively in accordance with performance guidelines and especially before Prorogation. However this is not always possible. Where right hon. and hon. Members did not receive a substantive response it is open to them to re-table their question this session.

Police

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which basic command units have been required to improve performance by more than the average following the publication of the National Policing Plan.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 24 January 2005
	The National Policing Plan does not proscribe specific targets for any Basic Command Units (BCUs). Individual performance targets are a matter for the Chief Constable and Police Authority of a given force to agree. In agreeing Force or BCD targets regard must be had to the policing priorities as laid out in the National Policing Plan, however these do not set specific targets.
	Police Forces are expected to contribute to local targets which are not specifically police owned. Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships of which both police forces and local police authorities are members, will agree crime reduction targets to which BCUs will contribute, however these are not centrally proscribed targets, neither are they the sole responsibility of the police.

Police

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue guidelines to the police in respect of restraint in a prone position for a long period or on a number of separate occasions but during the same detention; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Guidelines on the issue of restraint techniques by police officers are a matter for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). They tell me that restraint is covered in the ACPO Personal Safety Manual.
	The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) recently carried out a Restraint and Mental Health Review, which proposes measures to reduce the risks associated with restraint. The findings of this review are now being implemented in the Metropolitan Police and shared with ACPO

Police-Immigration Service (Joint Operations)

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have been arrested as a result of joint operations in London between the police and the Immigration Service.

Des Browne: Since April 2004 there have been approximately 786 joint operations with the police in London resulting in around 1,509 offenders being arrested.

Secondments

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the people working within his Department on secondment from the private sector, broken down by (a) the organisation or industry they came from and (b) the policy responsibilities they have been given.

Fiona Mactaggart: Secondments are part of the Interchange initiative, which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the Civil Service and other organisations: public, private and voluntary. Interchange provides opportunities for civil servants to learn new skills, widen their experience and develop ideas. It also brings in skills and experiences from other sectors.
	Four people are currently on inward secondment to the Home Office from the private sector. Their details are set out in the table:
	
		
			 Name Seconded from Receiving Home Office Unit Responsibilities 
		
		
			 Georgina Banton Ernst & Young Private Office Private Secretary 
			 Brenten Caffin PA Consultancy Services Ltd. Strategic Policy Team Project work supporting crime reduction incentive 
			 Joanna Place Royal Bank of Scotland Immigration and Nationality Department Senior Director, Change Management and Reform 
			 Joanna Vickers Shreeveport ID Cards Delivery Unit Leading solutions design workstream for identity cards procurement

Street Crime

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 8 December 2004, Official Report, column 648W, on street crime, how many individuals have been (a) questioned and (b) arrested by immigration officers under joint multi-agency operations involving the Immigration Service and the police in London, broken down by ethnic group.

Des Browne: While officers routinely record the details of persons questioned in their individual notebooks, records of (a) the number of people questioned or (b) the number of people arrested as part of joint, police-led crime reduction operations are not kept centrally. However, locally collated provisional information indicates that between May 2003 to December 2004 the UK Immigration Service participated in approximately 424 such operations which resulted in the arrest of around 1,357 immigration offenders, including 898 failed asylum seekers.
	The Immigration Service is currently exploring better ways of collecting and collating information on people questioned and arrested on joint multi-agency operations.

Yarl's Wood

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many detainees were present in Yarl's Wood on the night of 14 February 2002; how many escaped from the detention centre during the incident which was the subject of the Prison Service Ombudsman's report published on 16 November; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: A total of 385 detainees were present in Yarl's Wood on the night of 14 February 2002.
	There were 23 escapes.

Yarl's Wood

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what part Ministers played in the preparation of the contract between the Home Office/Immigration and Nationality Directorate and Group 4 Amey International (GAIL) for the design and build of the Yarl's Wood Detention Centre; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: Ministers are not involved in the preparation of contracts either by way of choice of contractor or in the detail contained within the contract document. Ministers and other public officials may however be involved in specification and/or consultation prior to contract tender. The Treasury Solicitors and Freshfields prepared the Yarl's Wood contract.

Yarl's Wood

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice Ministers (a) sought and (b) received in relation to the timescale for the project to design and build the Yarl's Wood Detention Centre.

Des Browne: Due to the large volume of records on this project, the answer could be obtained only at disproportionate cost however, I can say that Ministers were kept fully informed during each stage of the process including procurement of the site, construction and finally the opening and operation of the centre. These briefings covered the key milestones at each stage of the project and updates on progress.

Yarl's Wood

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps Ministers took to satisfy themselves that the Yarl's Wood Detention Centre opened in November 2001 was fit for purpose.

Des Browne: Yarl's Wood was designed to, and when completed, met all the required British standards and Building Control requirements. As Contract Administrators, PMI (later Osprey PMI) checked both the design and construction to ensure that the project was in full compliance with the requirements.
	If PMI were not satisfied with a particular element of the build, a contractual notice of non-compliance was issued to the main contractor and the existence of such a notice, if not corrected, would have prevented the centre being opened.
	A limited number of non-compliance notices were issued but were all checked and cleared prior to a Permit to Use (PtU) being issued to GSL All the operating procedures and contingency plans were written and approved by the Immigration Nationality Directorate prior to a PtU being issued. Ministers were informed when the centre was finally ready for use.

Yarl's Wood

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what performance measures relating to assaults by detainees were contained in the contract for the operation of the Yarl's Wood Detention Centre by Group 4; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: There is no mechanism for applying Performance Measures for individual assaults by detainees in the contract for the operation of the Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre (IRC).
	Performance Measures are applied for incidents of concerted in-discipline whereby for any incident where three or more detainees (and/or dependent children) act together with the intention of disrupting the order and discipline of the Removal Centre, Performance Measures shall accrue. Performance points accrue for each incident. There is no restriction on the number of times this Performance Measure can be applied.

Yarl's Wood

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultation took place between the Immigration and Nationality Directorate and Group 4 Amey International Limited on the operational implications for the Yarl's Wood Detention Centre of his decision of October 2001 that the use of prison places for immigration detainees would cease by January 2002.

Des Browne: There were regular meetings between the Immigration Nationality Directorate officials and Group 4 Amey International Limited (GAIL) to discuss operational issues prior to the opening of Yarl's Wood Removal Centre.
	The contract with GAIL required them to accept into Yarl's Wood whoever the Immigration Service sent to them and the Centre had facilities, including more secure areas, to assist with the management of difficult detainees.

Yarl's Wood

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice was given by Osprey PMI to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (a) in April 2000 and (b) subsequently about the project timescale for the building of the Yarl's Wood Detention Centre; if he will publish this advice; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The brief given to PMI (later Osprey PMI) in April 2000, on their appointment as Consultants, was that there was a requirement to provide 1,800 additional detention places by the end of the financial year 2000–01. PMI initially advised the Immigration Nationality Directorate (IND) that the timescale was not feasible but, after discussion, it was agreed that tenders would be issued to provide the first centre at Yarl's Wood. If the marketplace in general came back with the answer that the timescale for the programme was impossible re-assessment would have to be made. In the process, tenders returned documents offering to complete the project within the required timescale by adopting a modular building solution. Following contract award, IND's contract administrator, PMI carried out continual reviews of programme and progress on Yarl's Wood and advised IND on at least a weekly basis.

Yarl's Wood

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the speed of the process leading up to the awarding of the contract to design, build and run the Yarl's Wood Detention Centre, further to the comments made in the report by the Prisons Ombudsman into the disturbance and fire at the centre in February 2002.

Des Browne: The overall timetable was always considered to be exacting, however it could only be tested by going to the marketplace. The contract tender and award process followed European public purchasing rules. All major projects are now subject to a more robust challenge and scrutiny system under the Office for Government Commerce Gateway review process and internally within the Immigration and Nationality Department by the Joint Approvals Committee (made up of senior officials) and also by the Home Office Group Investment Board.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Equipment/Property

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many items of electrical equipment were used by his Department in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by (a) cost and (b) number of each type of item.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office does not retain the information requested centrally, and could provide it only at disproportionate cost.
	All expenditure by the Scotland Office in the purchase and procurement of services, and items, is made in accordance with the departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Government Accounting. Where possible, purchases of electrical equipment is through negotiated contracts.

Departmental Equipment/Property

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many items of civil service property within his Department are unaccounted for, broken down by type.

Anne McGuire: In the current year, there have been no reports to date of any equipment, or other property, being unaccounted for.

Departmental Equipment/Property

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the property belonging to his Department that has (a) been stolen and (b) been reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.
	Since that date the following items of property have been reported lost or stolen:
	
		
			  Item Lost Stolen 
		
		
			 1999–2000 Laptop — 1 
			 2000–01 0 — — 
			 2001–02 0 — — 
			 2002–03 Mobile phone 1 — 
			 2003–04 0 — —

Departmental Expenditure

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent by his Department on lighting in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Information on the cost of lighting is not held separately.

Departmental Expenditure

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the running costs of the Department were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile telephones and (f) televisions.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.
	Since that date expenditure in the categories requested was as follows:
	
		£
		
			  1999–2000(72) 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Electricity(73) 11,855 22,807 19,526 28,439 23,703 
			 Water(73) 1,067 3,656 4,221 7,018 11,699 
			 Gas(73) 43,024 78,224 94,866 88,244 88,085 
			 Telephones 13,404 89,217 87,859 83,163 88,298 
			 Mobile phones 6,760 14,275 11,850 7,216 6,646 
			 Televisions 0 480 1,439 1,439 1,439 
		
	
	(72)Part year
	(73)The information relates to buildings where the Scotland Office are major occupiers. Costs relating to buildings shared with the Scottish Executive are not separately identifiable.

Departmental Expenditure

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent on entertainment by his Department in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) food, (b) alcohol, (c) staff and (d) accommodation.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.
	The information is not held in the form requested, however since that date the Scotland Office and the Office of the Advocate-General for Scotland have spent the following on hospitality and entertainment:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1999–2000 (74)10,638 
			 2000–01 41,275 
			 2001–02 25,789 
			 2002–03 41,782 
			 2003–04 25,969 
		
	
	(74)Part year
	All expenditure on official entertainment is made in accordance with published guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles set out in Government Accounting.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions between 31 March 2002 and 31 March 2003 his special advisers travelled abroad in an official capacity; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 18 September 2003, Official Report, column 966W.

Staff Vacancies

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on advertising staff vacancies in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office has not incurred any expenditure on advertising staff vacancies in 2002 or 2003.

Parliamentary Constituencies Order

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects draft Statutory Instrument SSI0710, laid on 14 December, to come into force.

Alistair Darling: holding answer 10 January 2005
	The Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order will come into force the day after it is approved by Her Majesty in Council. As I said during Questions on 30 November 2004, Official Report, column 478, I hope the Order will be in force in February.

CABINET OFFICE

Cancelled Engagements

John Gummer: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the Ministerial engagements (a) out of London and (b) in London that he has cancelled since his appointment.

Alan Milburn: There is no record kept of cancelled engagements in the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster's diary. When engagements have had to be cancelled, wherever possible we try to re-instate them at a later date. All engagements are subject to ministerial and parliamentary business.

Freedom of Information

John Mann: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what categories of information are available under Freedom of Information legislation that have not been provided in written parliamentary answers by his Department in the last three years

David Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 January 2005, Official Report, column 140W, by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Christopher Leslie).

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

A3 Hindhead

Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will place all papers relating to the advice given to Ministers in 2004 concerning the A3 at Hindhead in the Library.

David Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
	We have no plans to do so at present.

Civil Servants

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many civil servants in her Department work in the (a) Commercial Best Practice and Enterprise, (b) Maximising Potential in the Workplace, (c) Finance for Investment, (d) Strengthening Regional Economies and (e) Knowledge Transfer and Innovation unit, broken down by salary band.

Nigel Griffiths: holding answer 25 January 2005
	The approximate numbers of full-time equivalent staff expected to work in DTI HQ on the equivalent objectives at 31 March 2005 are as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 (a) Effective Channels with Business (which incorporates Commercial Best Practice) 501 
			 (b) Maximising Potential in the Workplace 214 
			 (c) Enterprise, Growth and Business Investment (formerly Enterprise for All and Finance for Investment) 340 
			 (d) Regions 84 
			 (e) Knowledge Transfer and Innovation 247 
		
	
	We do not have readily available this information broken down by salary band.

ECGD

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2004, Official Report, column 1242W, on the Export Credits Guarantee Department, which non-governmental organisations made informal representations.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 24 January 2005
	Further, to my answer of 27 October 2004, representatives of Transparency International (UK) and the Corner House made informal representations in respect of ECGD's anti-bribery and corruption procedures.

ECGD

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2004, Official Report, column 1242W, on the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD), what the value was of guarantees issued to Airbus under ECGD's anti-corruption procedures interim arrangements.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 24 January 2005
	The value of the guarantees issued in support of Airbus aircraft under ECGD's anti-bribery and corruption procedures interim arrangements was US$202.8 million.

ECGD

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what amount she has budgeted to cover liability for costs (a) of her Department and (b) of those for whom her Department has agreed to pay all or part of their costs in relation to the action for judicial review brought against her Department by Corner House in respect of Export Credits Guarantee Department forms.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 24 January 2005
	The current estimate for what ECGD will pay its external solicitors and Counsel in relation to the action for judicial review brought by Corner House is £64,710. The costs of the Corner House, which ECGD will pay under the terms of the High Court settlement of 13 January 2004.

EU Presidency

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government's priorities for the Competitiveness Council will be during the United Kingdom's Presidency of the European Union; and if she will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The overall Council Agenda for 2005 is set out clearly in the UK-Luxembourg Annual Operating Programme (AOP), copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House. The agenda for the UK Presidency will be determined, to a large extent, by the agenda we inherit from Luxembourg and progress on the dossiers identified in the AOP.
	My Department is in the process of planning and identifying detailed policy themes for the UK Presidency, within the context of the broader EU agenda. We expect work in the Competitiveness Council to take forward the conclusions from the Mid-Term Review of the Lisbon Agenda, concentrating in particular on promoting employment, better regulation, open and sustainable markets in an outward-facing Europe and boosting our economies' potential for innovation and research. Key items in the Competitiveness Council during our Presidency are likely to include the Services Directive, Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development, the REACH chemicals regulation and better regulation work, in line with the recent 6 Presidency statement.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he intends to answer the letter dated 20 December 2004 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Brunt.

Alan Johnson: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 25 January.

Incapacity and DLA Claimants

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what is the age breakdown of (a) incapacity and (b) disability living allowance claimants is.

Maria Eagle: The information is in the tables.
	
		All incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants in Great Britain by age and percentage as at 31 August 2004.
		
			  Number of claimants Percentage of claimants 
		
		
			 All ages 2,704,200 100 
			 Under 20 40,500 1.5 
			 20 to 24 127,400 4.7 
			 25 to 29 145,400 5.4 
			 30 to 34 208,900 7.7 
			 35 to 39 265,400 9.8 
			 40 to 44 306,300 11.3 
			 45 to 49 328,900 12.2 
			 50 to 54 393,300 14.5 
			 55 to 59 530,200 19.6 
			 60 to 64 328,000 12.1 
			 65 and over 29,900 1.1 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Totals may not sum due to rounding. Percentages are rounded to the nearest 0.1 percentage points.
	2.Figures include all incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disablement allowance (SDA), including IB credits only cases.
	3.Great Britain figures include a small number of claimants resident overseas.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample.
	
		Disability living allowance recipients in Great Britain by age and percentage as at 31 August 2004
		
			  Number of recipients Percentage of recipients 
		
		
			 All ages 2,634,300 100 
			 0 to 4 41,900 1.6 
			 5 to 9 99,200 3.8 
			 10 to 15 135,400 5.1 
			 16 to 19 59,400 2.3 
			 20 to 24 67,100 2.5 
			 25 to 29 72,000 2.7 
			 30 to 34 108,400 4.1 
			 35 to 39 150,700 5.7 
			 40 to 44 179,100 6.8 
			 45 to 49 197,700 7.5 
			 50 to 54 235,800 9.0 
			 55 to 59 319,400 12.1 
			 60 to 64 346,900 13.2 
			 65 to 69 311,800 11.8 
			 70 to 74 203,600 7.7 
			 75 to 79 80,200 3.0 
			 80 and over 25,800 1.0 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Totals may not sum due to rounding. Percentages are rounded to the nearest 0.1 percentage points.
	Source:
	IAD information Centre, 5 per cent. sample

Winter Fuel Payments

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent changes have been made to eligibility for winter fuel payments for those living in residential care who (a) are receiving and (b) are not receiving pension credit; and if he will estimate in each case how many people have been affected by those changes.

Malcolm Wicks: There have been no recent changes to eligibility for winter fuel payments for those living in residential care. The winter fuel payment regulations were amended in September 2004 to ensure those people who receive pension credit are treated in the same way as those who were previously in receipt of income support.

TREASURY

Alcohol-related Deaths (Lancashire)

Peter Pike: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in respect of how many deaths in (a) Lancashire and (b) Burnley alcohol was the primary cause in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Peter Pike, dated 26 January 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for how many deaths in (a) Lancashire and (b) Burnley, alcohol was the primary cause, in each of the past five years. I am replying in his absence. (210962)
	The latest year for which figures are available is 2003. Figures in the attached table show the number of deaths where the underlying cause of death indicated a condition directly related to alcohol use in the years 1999 to 2003, among residents of the County of Lancashire and the Local Authority of Burnley.
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) definition of alcohol-related deaths only includes those causes regarded as being most directly due to alcohol consumption. Apart from deaths due to accidental poisoning with alcohol, this definition excludes external causes of death, such as road traffic deaths and other accidents, and alcohol-related suicides and homicides. Estimates of the annual total number of deaths in which alcohol has played a role can therefore vary widely depending on the criteria used. The definition used by ONS allows for consistent comparisons over time for those deaths where a clear association with alcohol consumption can generally be assumed.
	
		Alcohol-related deaths(75)in the County of Lancashire(76)and Burnley local authority area(77), 1999–2003(78)
		
			  Area 
			  County of Lancashire Burnley local authority 
		
		
			 1999 167 17 
			 2000 149 6 
			 2001 182 10 
			 2002 165 13 
			 2003 177 19 
		
	
	(75)For the years 1999–2000 the cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9). The codes used by ONS to define alcohol-related deaths are listed as follows:
	291—Alcoholic psychoses
	303—Alcohol dependence syndrome
	305.0—Non-dependent abuse of alcohol
	425.5—Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
	571—Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis
	E860—Accidental poisoning by alcohol
	For the years 2001–03 the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) was used. To maintain comparability with earlier years the following codes were used:
	F10—Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol
	142.6—Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
	K70—Alcoholic liver disease
	K73—Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified
	K74—Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver
	X45—Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol
	The selection of codes to define alcohol-related deaths is described in:
	Baker A and Rooney C (2003). Recent trends in alcohol-related mortality, and the impact of ICD-10 on the monitoring of these deaths in England and Wales. Health Statistics Quarterly 17, pp 5–14.
	(76)Figures provided relate to the current county of Lancashire. This excludes the unitary authorities of Blackburn and Darwen, and Blackpool, created on 1 April 1998, which were part of the former county.
	(77)Usual residents of these areas.
	(78)Deaths occurring in each calendar year.

Cancer

John Mann: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the survival rates were for each form of cancer in (a) 1997 and (b) the last year for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. John Mann, dated 26 January 2005
	As National Statistician., I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning what the survival rates were for each form of cancer in (a) 1997 and (b) the last year for which figures arc available. (211105)
	Survival rates arc not separately available by individual year of diagnosis. The latest available one and five year survival rates for the 20 most common cancers in England and Wales are for adult patients (aged 15–99 years) diagnosed during 1996–99 and followed up to 31 December 2001. These figures were published on the National Statistics website on 9 March 2004, and are available at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/ssdataset.asp?vlnk=7899

Child Trust Funds

Peter Pike: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what percentage of children in Burnley are eligible for the Child Trust Fund.

Stephen Timms: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Martin Linton) on 30 November 2004, Official Report, columns 87–88W. All children born and living in the UK since 1 September 2002 whose families receive child benefit will be eligible for the Child Trust Fund.

Child Trust Funds

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the number of children in Hendon who qualify for payments under the Child Trust Fund (a) at £250 and (b) at £500; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Martin Linton) on 30 November 2004, Official Report, columns 87–88W. All children born and living in the UK since 1 September 2002 whose families receive child benefit will be eligible for the Child Trust Fund.

Departmental Policies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Jackie Lawrence: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency, the effects on Preseli Pembrokeshire of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997.

Stephen Timms: Since our election in 1997, the Government have put in place a radical programme of both macro-economic and micro-economic reform to improve the economic performance of all parts of the UK. There is significant evidence that these policies have already yielded considerable benefits for the Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency. For example, since May 1997, claimant unemployment has fallen by 55 per cent., long-term unemployment has fallen by 87 per cent. and long-term youth unemployment has been eliminated, having fallen from 125 in May 1997 to 0 in December 2004.
	The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at Parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 Census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at http://neighbourhood.statistics. gov.uk./.

ECOFIN

Michael Connarty: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the outcome was of the ECOFIN Council held on 18 January; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Moore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with his European Union counterparts on reforming the Growth and Stability Pact; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I attended ECOFIN in Brussels on 18 January 2005.
	The Presidency briefly introduced its work programme, emphasising its three priorities: Lisbon Mid-Term Review, Reform of the Stability and Growth Pact and negotiation of the Financial Perspectives 2007–13. The Commission welcomed the work programme.
	Further to discussions between Foreign Ministers at the extraordinary meeting of the General Affairs Council on 7 January, ECOFIN discussed the economic consequences of the South-Asian Tsunami. The Commission noted that the macroeconomic consequences of the Tsunami are likely to be contained, although with significant differences across affected countries. Worst hit in macroeconomic terms are likely to be the Maldives and Sri Lanka. EU financial support could be up to 1.5 billion euros, which will include 100 million euros in humanitarian aid, 350 million euros in reconstruction aid and a proposed EIB loan facility of up to 1 billion euros guaranteed by the EC budget. The size and structure of the facility have yet to be decided and will be dependent on the outcome of the needs assessment being carried out by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. The UK emphasised the challenge of long-term reconstruction, and stressed the importance of completing the needs assessment before deciding the terms of the EIB package. The Presidency said they would return to this at the February ECOFIN.
	ECOFIN noted Presidency conclusions for France and Germany. The Council reviewed measures taken by Greece to correct its excessive deficit. Greece pointed to continued reforms on both the expenditure and revenues sides of the budget. The Commission noted that despite this corrective action by the Greek government, this was still insufficient for Greece to correct its excessive deficit in 2005. The Council conclusions were approved without discussion, and the 104(8) decision, that Greece has not taken effective action to correct its excessive deficit in line with its convergence programme, was adopted.
	The Commission noted that Hungary has exceeded its deficit target for 2004 by 1 percentage point, and that the same outcome was likely for 2005. It recommended that Hungary, in line with article 104(8), had not taken effective action to correct its excessive deficit in line with its convergence programme. Council conclusions and an article 104(8) decision with respect to Hungary were adopted without further discussion.
	As regards the excessive deficit procedures against the new member states, the Commission confirmed that the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Cyprus and Malta were in line with the targets set by their convergences programmes. Council opinions on the stability programmes of Austria, Luxembourg, Sweden and Netherlands and on the convergence programme of the Czech Republic were adopted without discussion.
	Discussion of Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) reform options took place, on both the preventative and the corrective arm of the SGP. The UK highlighted that proper account needed to be taken of the economic cycle, of debt sustainability and of public investment.
	The Council endorsed the Annual Report on Structural reforms 2005, prepared by the Economic Policy Committee (EPC), which focussed on employment and growth as a core priority. The Council agreed to forward it as a contribution by the Council to the Spring 2005 European Council.

Freedom of Information

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what categories of information are available under Freedom of Information legislation that have not been provided in written parliamentary answers by his Department in the last three years.

Stephen Timms: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Parliamentary Under-secretary of State, Department of Constitutional Affairs (Mr. Leslie) on 24 January 2005, Official Report, column 140W.

Iraq

Derek Conway: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated total cost to date is of UK operations and assistance in Iraq.

Paul Boateng: In Budget 2003 the Chancellor set aside £3 billion as a Special Reserve to cover the cost of military operations in Iraq. £1 billion was drawn down by the Ministry of Defence in the Spring Supplementary Estimate for 2002–03.
	In the 2003 pre-Budget report, the Government carried forward the £2 billion unallocated special reserve into 2003–04 and added a further £500 million in 2003–04. £300 million was also added in 2004–05 as a prudent allowance against continuing commitments in Iraq and elsewhere in the war against terrorism. A further £520 million for the Special Reserve in 2004–05 was announced by the Chancellor in the 2004 pre-Budget report.
	The Ministry of Defence drew down £1,539 million in the 2003–04 Winter and Spring Supplementary Estimates for the costs of military operations in Iraq.
	At the Madrid Donors' Conference in October 2003, the Government announced a total UK pledge of £544 million towards the reconstruction effort in Iraq up to March 2006. Of this, the Department for International Development has committed over £331 million for humanitarian and reconstruction assistance in Iraq since the conflict.

National Minimum Wage (Lancashire)

Peter Pike: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people he estimates in (a) Burnley and (b) Lancashire are benefiting from the national minimum wage; what percentage that is of those in work in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Peter Pike, dated 26 January 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people it is estimated are benefiting from the national minimum wage in Burnley and Lancashire. I am replying in his absence. (210969)
	Estimates for the number of jobs paid below the minimum wage for local authority areas and counties are not available. However, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) calculates this information for the United Kingdom and Government Office Regions. A guide to measuring low pay and associated articles and data can be found on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=5837&Pos=1&ColRank=1&Rank=272

Pay Television Subscriptions

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pay television subscriptions the Department had in each year since 1997; and what the cost was in each year.

Stephen Timms: The Treasury had no pay television subscriptions prior to financial year 2002–03. The number of subscriptions and the costs including VAT for each complete financial year since then are as follows. The costs include £44,000 and £39,000 in 2002–03 and 2003–04 respectively payable to the Central Office of Information for Houses of Parliament television channels.

Productivity

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what GDP per hour worked in the UK has been on a constant price basis in each year since 1979.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. David Willetts, dated 26 January 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on the levels of constant price GDP per hour worked in the UK in each year since 1979.1 am replying in his absence. (210606)
	The National Statistics measure of output per hour uses Gross Value Added rather than Gross Domestic Product as the numerator. The table below shows the index of whole economy GVA per hour from 1993, which is when the hours series is available from.
	
		Index of whole economy GVA per hour, 1993–2003
		
			  Whole economy GVA per hour(79) 
		
		
			 1993 84.5 
			 1994 87.0 
			 1995 88.3 
			 1996 90.0 
			 1997 91.3 
			 1998 93.8 
			 1999 95.4 
			 2000 98.9 
			 2001 100.0 
			 2002 101.7 
			 2003 103.5 
		
	
	(79) 2001=100

Tax Credits

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of tax credit awards have been appealed since their introduction.

Dawn Primarolo: The number of written appeals received against tax credit decisions by 31 December 2004 is equivalent to roughly 1 per cent. of all tax credit applications put into award since the introduction of working tax credit and child tax credit.

Tax Credits

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what monitoring of advice given by operators in tax credit call centres his Department has conducted.

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue monitor the quality of advice their Helpline advisers provide in a number of ways. First, every team leader listens to a number of calls each month for every adviser in their team and then gives individual feedback on the quality of their service. Second, there is a Quality Team who listen to 50 random calls each month from each of the six call centres—they too provide feedback to the advisers from their findings. And finally, there is an independent validation that the checks have been completed each month—this team listens to calls that have been picked for checking and they too provide input and advice on the quality of service.

Tax Credits

Chris Ruane: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost was of the introduction of the IT system for tax credits; what assessment he has made of the system; and what penalty clauses there were in the contract for the provision of IT services to enable the Government to recover the costs of failure and breakdown.

Dawn Primarolo: Details are in the Inland Revenue's Annual Report and Accounts for 2003–04 published on 21 October 2004 at page 104.
	The Inland Revenue and EDS are currently in discussions over payment of compensation for the errors with the NTC system. These discussions are on-going and so I am unable to say anything further at this stage.

Tax Credits

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his forecast is of the expenditure on the child care element of the working tax credit in 2005–06.

Dawn Primarolo: For a forecast of total tax credit expenditure in 2005–06, 1 refer the hon. Member to Table B13 and B16 in pre Budget report, December 2004. No separate forecast has been made for expenditure on the child care element of working tax credit in 2005–06.

Tax Credits

Tom Levitt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of applications for tax credits have been significantly wrongly assessed initially.

Dawn Primarolo: For the level of accuracy of processing and calculating tax credits for 2003–04 I refer my hon. Friend to page 29 of the Inland Revenue's Annual Report and Accounts for the year ending 31 March 2004. This is available on the Inland Revenue website at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk. The Inland Revenue will similarly report against its targets for 2004–05 in due course.

Tax Credits

Clive Soley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether parents can claim tax credit against the cost of employing a registered nanny; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: From April 2005, parents in England who use nannies who are approved under the Department for Education and Skills Child Care Approval scheme will be to claim the child care element.

Tax Credits

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many families in Hendon (a) received child tax credit and (b) were estimated to be entitled to it on the latest date for which figures are available; what the average monthly payment was in the last month for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many families in Hendon (a) received working tax credit and (b) were estimated to be entitled to it on the latest date for which figures are available; what the average monthly payment was in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: For (a), estimates of the number of in-work families in each constituency receiving tax credits are published in Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics, Geographical Analyses. December 2004". This can be found on the Inland Revenue website, at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm. The estimates are based on a sample of cases, and are subject to sampling uncertainty.
	For (b), estimates of the number of families eligible for these tax credits are not available at the constituency level.
	Information on average monthly payments of child tax credit and working tax credit is not available, as explained in the technical note in Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. December 2004". This can be found on the Inland Revenue website.

Tax Credits

Tom Levitt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are in receipt of (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit in the High Peak constituency.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimates of the number of in-work families receiving tax credits in each constituency (broken down by families with and without children) appear in Child and Working Tax Credit Statistics. Geographical analyses. December 2004." This can be found on the Inland Revenue website at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm. The estimates are based on a sample of cases, and are subject to sampling uncertainty.

Tax Credits

Graham Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) families and (b) individuals in Nottingham North constituency benefit from the working tax credit.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimates of the number of in-work families receiving tax credits in each constituency (broken down by families with and without children) appear in Child and Working Tax Credit Statistics. Geographical analyses. December 2004." This can be found on the Inland Revenue website at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm. The estimates are based on a sample of cases, and are subject to sampling uncertainty.

Tax Credits

Graham Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average tax burden on a single earner family on average earnings with two children claiming the working tax credit in the Nottingham North constituency was in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the tax burden was on such a family in (a) 1975–76 and (b) 1997–98.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not available at the constituency level. For the tax burden for a single earner couple on UK average earnings I refer the right hon. Friend to table 14.10 in the Tax Benefit Reference Manual 2004–05 Edition" available in the House of Commons Library.

Tax Credits

Mark Fisher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the total expenditure on (a) working tax credit and (b) child tax credit in Stoke-on-Trent has been in each year since those schemes have been in operation;
	(2)  how many people in Stoke-on-Trent have successfully claimed (a) working tax credit and (b) child tax credit in each year since those schemes have been in operation.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimates of the number of in-work families in each local authority and constituency receiving these tax credits appear in Child and Working Tax Credit Statistics. Geographical analyses." These can be found on the Inland Revenue website at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm. The estimates are based on a sample of cases, and are subject to sampling uncertainty.
	The national level of expenditure on tax credits in the year ending 31 March 2004 appears in the Inland Revenue report and accounts for that year. The amounts paid to families in each local authority or constituency are not available.

Teenage Pregnancies

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many teenage pregnancies there were in (a) Romford, (b) the London borough of Havering, (c) Greater London, (d) Essex and (e) England in (i)over 16s and (ii) under 16s in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Andrew Rosindell, dated 26 January 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question (PQ) asking for information on teenage pregnancies in Romford, the London borough of Havering, Greater London, Essex and England. I am replying in his absence. (210529)
	The most recent year for which conception statistics are available is 2002. Figures for this year are provisional.
	Conception figures are not routinely produced by Parliamentary Constituency. However, figures for teenage conceptions by Parliamentary Constituency in 2000 were given in an answer to a previous PQ and placed in the House of Commons Library (PQ 87154, Hansard No. 21, column 586W). There were 49 teenage conceptions in Romford in 2000.
	Conception figures by age or for subsequent years are not available by Parliamentary Constituency.
	The data requested for the London borough of Havering, Greater London, Essex and England are given in the attached table.
	
		Number of teenage conceptions to women aged under 16and 16–17, 2002
		
			  Age 
			  Under 16 16–17 
		
		
			 London borough of Havering 18 132 
			 Greater London 1,229 5,283 
			 Essex 154 635 
			 England 7,395 31,955

HEALTH

Adverse Drug Reactions

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what action the Committee on Safety of Medicines takes when it receives reports of adverse drug reactions to insulin glargine;
	(2)  how many cases of suspected adverse drug reactions for human insulin there were in 2003; what the symptoms of such adverse reactions were; and what research he has (a) evaluated and (b) commissioned on the effects of the use of GM produced insulin analogues.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 24 January 2005
	As with all medicines, the safety of human insulins is monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), with independent expert advice from the committee on safety of medicines (CSM). All information on the safety of these products is evaluated as it becomes available.
	Insulin glargine (Lantus) is a long acting insulin licensed throughout the European Union. As with all new medicines, it is currently under intensive monitoring by the MHRA and the CSM. Prescribers are asked to report through the yellow card scheme all suspected adverse reactions for products under intensive monitoring, which are identified by an inverted black triangle symbol in the British National Formulary. When reports are received they are added to the database of adverse drug reactions. All reports of serious adverse drug reactions are evaluated by a member of the professional staff of the MHRA with particular responsibility for that product. These reports are then discussed in the context of all reports for the product at a weekly meeting of professional medical and scientific staff of the MHRA to identify any new safety issues.
	A total of 142 reports of suspected adverse reactions were reporting through the Yellow Card Scheme in association with all human insulins in 2003. The most common adverse drug reactions reported related to decreases or increases in blood sugar, headache, injection site reaction and pruritis (itching).
	In 2000, the CSM's sub-committee on Pharmacovigilance (SCOP) considered a systematic review of the literature on the safety of human insulins (Airey et al Diabetic Medicine 2000). A total of 52 randomised controlled trials were identified, in addition to 56 studies of other designs and case reports. The SCOP advised that although some patients have experienced problems on transferring to human insulin and are better suited to animal derived insulins, there is no clear evidence of safety problem specific to human insulin. This advice was communicated to prescribers in an article in the drug safety bulletin, Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance" in September 2000. In 2002, SCOP considered a review of human insulin versus animal insulin in people with diabetes mellitus published by the Cochrane Library. This review included randomised controlled trials of at least one month in duration until May 2002. No significant differences in metabolic control or hypoglycaemic episodes between various insulin species could be elucidated. The patient information leaflets for insulins provide detailed information about the risk of hypoglycaemia and the advice on action to take should it occur.

Burns Units (West Midlands)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist burns services units there are in the West Midlands region.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 25 January 2005
	There are two specialist burns units within the West Midlands region. University Hospital Birmingham National Health Service Foundation Trust has a unit which deals with adult burns and Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Trust has a unit which deals with paediatric burns.
	Individuals from the Warwickshire area also have access to the burns unit at the Leicester Royal Infirmary.

Care Homes (Pension Credit)

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to award care home residents the amount of pension credit they would receive if they were still living in their own homes; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 13 January 2005
	We have no plans to change the residential charging arrangements relating to the savings element of pension credit. Those people in residential care receiving £4.65 or less savings credit have all of their award disregarded when the local authority assesses what they can afford to pay for their care. In addition, care home residents with weekly incomes so great that they do not qualify for savings credit also receive a savings disregard of £4.65. Only where a resident has an award above £4.65 is the amount above £4.65 taken into account in their assessment.
	This solution ensures that the receipt of savings credit by care home residents does not create an anomaly in the system of care home charges. If residents in receipt of savings credit retained it all, they would be better off than residents with higher incomes not in receipt of savings credit.

Continuing Care

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to produce a national framework for assessment for fully-funded NHS continuing care.

Stephen Ladyman: As was announced on 9 December 2004, I commissioned work to be started on a national framework for continuing care to improve consistency of assessments and approach and ease of understanding of continuing care and the assessment process for patients, their families and practitioners alike. Officials are in the process of working with the national health service, local authorities, voluntary and patient/user groups and the Health Service Ombudsman's office to plan the content and timescale of this piece of work.

Digital Hearing Aids

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how his Department calculates the NHS reference costs for the (a) provision and (b) fitting of digital hearing aids.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department collects unit cost and activity data from all national health service providers in England each financial year.
	Various appropriate activity currencies are used for a range of services and treatments provided by the NHS, which form part of the scope of the reference cost collection. Unit cost data is produced in accordance with the rules detailed in the NHS costing manual, to ensure that both cost and activity data are calculated on a consistent and comparable basis.
	The data are collated and national average unit cost figures are produced by calculating, for each service/treatment area, the total national cost for the service, and then dividing this by the total reported activity for that service, at national level.
	All national average costs are published in the national schedule of reference costs, at service level, in conjunction with national activity levels, and inter-quartile ranges, detailing the ranges between which the middle 50 per cent., of NHS provider costs lie.
	Data on the provision and fitting of hearing aids are available for the 2002–03 financial year, when the average unit cost reported by NHS trusts undertaking the service in house was 144 per aid, but no comparable data will be available for the financial year 2003–04, following changes to the accounting treatment of digital hearing aids.
	Copies of the national schedule of reference costs and the NHS costing manual are available in the Library.

Domiciliary Oxygen Supplies

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the new domiciliary oxygen contract will make available the supply of liquid oxygen; and when he expects it to be implemented.

Rosie Winterton: Liquid oxygen will be available as part of the new domiciliary oxygen contract where this is a suitable option that meets the clinical and other needs of the individual patient. This is part of an integrated service that allows patients improved access to a range of service options and to benefit from new and developing technologies. We expect to complete evaluation of tenders in the next few weeks and will announce awards as soon as possible. The national health service will work closely with successful contractors over the coming month to introduce the new service from 1 October 2005.

Drug Misuse

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with his colleagues in the Home Department with regard to the appropriate balance between drug abuse prevention and drug abuse treatment; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: The Government drugs strategy covers drug prevention, supply, drug related crime and drug treatment. Both drug prevention and treatment are vital components of the overall strategy.
	There are regular discussions between the Home Office and the Department on drug prevention and treatment. These cross-Government meetings discuss the work programmes, which are being implemented in support of the drugs strategy.

Eastbourne District General Hospital

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations at Eastbourne District General Hospital have been cancelled in each of the last six months.

Rosie Winterton: Data about cancelled operations are collected at trust level only. Eastbourne District General Hospital is part of East Sussex Hospitals National Health Service Trust. Cancelled operations figures for East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust are shown in the table.
	
		Cancelled operations for East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust 
		
			  Period 
			  Quarter 1 (April to June 2004–05) Quarter 2 (July to September 2004–05) 
		
		
			 Number of elective  admissions 7,278 7,357 
			 Number of cancelled  operations 125 144 
			 Number re-admitted  within 28 days 70 93

GP Surgeries (Lancashire)

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner surgeries have been upgraded in Lancashire using the local improvement finance trust programme; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: Currently, no surgeries have been upgraded in Lancashire through the national health service local improvement finance trust programme. However, three new buildings are opening to patients in Wigan between February and June 2005, replacing 11 existing practice premises. A further three new schemes in Darwen, Bacup and Nelson are opening shortly, replacing an additional 16 existing practice premises. Similar developments are under construction in Burnley, St. Helens and Oldham and will be opening to patients in 2005 and 2006.

GPs (North Yorkshire)

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on emergency cover for general practitioners in North Yorkshire.

Melanie Johnson: Primary care trusts in North Yorkshire have set up a team to finalise future arrangements for the provision of out-of-hours services. In the meantime, the North Yorkshire emergency doctors service is continuing to operate.

Health Care-associated Infection

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been allocated for research into health care-associated infections; and what plans he has for how that funding should be spent.

Melanie Johnson: During the first half of 2003, the Department commissioned a £2.5 million strategic programme of research aimed at improving scientific understanding of antimicrobial resistance. £590,000 of that total sum is being spent on projects that will provide information relating to preventing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
	The publication of the Department's report, Winning Ways—working together to reduce healthcare associated infection in England", in December 2003 was accompanied by the announcement that £3 million would be allocated to fund a new research programme on healthcare associated infections.
	We have commissioned the National observational study of the effectiveness of the Clean Your Hands campaign and a cluster randomised controlled trials of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of feedback in intensive care units and acute general medical wards". A further call for research proposals is about to be issued, following the Department's recent science summit.

Laser Eye Surgery

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what independent audits have taken place on the (a) efficacy and (b) safety of private provision of laser eye surgery.

Rosie Winterton: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has reviewed available evidence on Laser in situ keratomileusis for the treatment of refractive errors (short and long-sightedness) and issued guidance to the national health service on 15 December 2004. A copy is available on the NICE website at www.nice.org.uk/pdf/ip/IPG102publicinfo.pdf . We are not aware of other independent audits.

Methadone and Buprenorphine

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pharmacies supply prescription (a) methadone and (b) buprenorphine; and how many of these are independent pharmacies.

Rosie Winterton: Information on specific pharmacies supplying methadone and buprenorphine is not held centrally, but any community pharmacy providing national health service pharmaceutical services presented with a prescription is expected to provide the medicines ordered with reasonable promptness and in accordance with other legal requirements.

NHS Personnel Costs

Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the market force factor is applied to personnel costs for NHS employees beyond agreed weighting factors.

John Hutton: holding answer 20 January 2005
	The market forces factor (MFF) is a component of the weighted capitation formula used to inform allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs). The purpose of the MFF is to equalise the commissioning power of PCTs by adjusting for unavoidable variations in national health service trust costs directly related to location.
	The MFF is made up of the following elements.
	
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 Staff MFF around 70 
			 Land MFF around 1 
			 Buildings MFF around 4

Skipton Fund

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) total monetary value and (b) average value is of the (i) 2,560 stage one payments and (ii) 112 stage two payments which had been made as at 6 December 2004 to the Skipton Fund under the ex gratia payment scheme for people infected with hepatitis C.

Melanie Johnson: Under the hepatitis C ex-gratia payment scheme, a standard lump sum stage 1 payment of £20,000 may be available to people who have been infected with hepatitis C from contaminated blood products prior to September 1991. A further £25,000 can be claimed by applicants who have already received stage 1 payments, where the disease has progressed.
	The table shows the cost of payments made as at 6 December 2004.
	
		
			  Number of payments made Cost of payments (£) 
		
		
			 Stage 1 applications 2,560 51,200,000 
			 Stage 2 applications 112 2,800,000

Special Hospitals

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) consultants and (b) staff there have been in (i) Rampton, (ii) Broadmoor and (iii) Ashworth special hospitals in each of the last 10 years.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 25 January 2005
	The number of consultants and total numbers of other staff for Ashworth and Broadmoor hospitals from 1996 to 2004 are shown in table 1.
	
		Table 1
		
			  Ashworth hospital Broadmoor hospital 
			  Consultants Staff Consultants Staff 
		
		
			 1995 15 1,505 31 1,150 
			 1996 18 1,531 32 1,084 
			 1997 17 1,530 38 1,146 
			 1998 14 1,582 41 1,111 
			 1999 14 1,580 36 1,124 
			 2000 12 1,640 37 1,258 
			 2001 11 1,724 40 1,299 
			 2002 19 1,937 41 1,374 
			 2003 18 1,876 43 1,411 
			 2004 19 1,824 31 1,364 
		
	
	Table 2 shows the numbers of consultants and all grades of nursing staff for Rampton hospital from 2001 to 2004.
	
		Table 2
		
			  Rampton hospital 
			  Consultants Nursing staff 
		
		
			 2001 20 829 
			 2002 20 890 
			 2003 22 966 
			 2004 24 1,058

Teenage Sex

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on teenage sexual activity; and what scientific evidence is used in the development of this policy.

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government's teenage pregnancy and wider sexual health strategies reflect the complex reasons behind England's high rate of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Key aspects of the Government's response to these issues are:
	information campaigns highlighting: the importance of under-16s delaying sexual activity (evidence tells us that delay results in lower rates of regret and improved contraception use); resisting peer pressure to engage in early sexual activity; and—for young people who are sexually active—the importance of using condoms to protect against unplanned pregnancies and STIs. This final message is reinforced through the Department of Health's sexual health campaign which, as highlighted in the recent Public Health White Paper, will be expanded, with an emphasis on reaching young people and other hard to reach groups;
	support for parents to help them discuss sex and relationship issues with their children (which is proven to result in more openness, later first sex and better contraception use);
	improving both the quality of sex and relationships education in schools and out of school settings, and young people's access to contraception and sexual health advice services in community settings and general practice;
	provision of enhanced support to teenage parents, to provide a pathway out of social exclusion, in particular through re-engagement in education and training; and better partnership working between local health and education partners through the Healthy Schools" programme and the establishment of Teenage Pregnancy Partnership Boards in each top tier local authority.
	This multi-faceted approach was recommended in the Social Exclusion Unit's report on teenage pregnancy, published in 1999, The plan reflects the best international evidence of what works in reducing teenage pregnancies and supporting teenage parents. A subsequent review by the Health Development Agency in 2003, confirmed the evidence base for the strategy.
	Between 1998 (the baseline year for the teenage pregnancy strategy) and 2002 (the latest year for which data are available) the rate of under-18 conceptions has fallen by 8.6 per cent. and the rate of under-16 conceptions by 11.2 per cent. The proportion of teenage parents engaged in education, employment or training has increased from 23.1 per cent. (average for 1997–99) to 29.7 per cent. (average for 2002–04).

TETRA System

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has discussed the health implications of the use of the TETRA system with representatives of those countries that already use the system.

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
	The Home Office asked the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) to look at the health and safety aspects of the TETRA technology used by Airwave. The NRPB's independent Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation (AGNIR) drew on peer reviewed scientific literature from around the world in compiling the 2001 report on TETRA (Docs NRPB, Vol 12, No 8). The Home Office continues to liaise with the NRPB and the Department of Health who maintain contacts with the international scientific community.
	The Home Office has provided information about its research programme to representatives from other countries.

Walsgrave Hospital

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the funding allocated to Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry for the next year.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 25 January 2005
	We do not allocate funding to national health service acute trusts. NHS acute trusts, as providers of services, receive the bulk of their revenue funding from commissioning by primary care trusts (PCTs). They also receive revenue funding from the Department for medical staff, education services and for research and development. In addition, acute trusts can charge staff, visitors or patients for services provided, such as catering or provision of private patient facilities.
	For the next financial year (2005–06), Coventry PCT has been allocated £348 million, an increase of £29.6 million over the 2004–05 allocation. Future allocations will be announced shortly.
	It is for PCTs, in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders, to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Beef Export Ban

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Government will take steps to lift the beef export ban.

Ian Pearson: Exports of beef from the UK can take place under the Date Based Export Scheme and six plants have been approved to export including four from Northern Ireland. A general lifting of the ban requires the European Commission to bring forward an appropriate proposal and the agreement of the other member states.
	Any such proposal would only be made once the Over Thirty Month Rule has been ended in the UK and following a successful outcome of a further inspection visit from the EU's Food and Veterinary Office to check BSE controls and testing arrangements. This is likely to take until later this year.
	In the meantime UK officials are working with the Commission on the detail of the arrangement to be put in place to facilitate the easing of the beef export restriction.

Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the involvement of paramilitary organisations in the Province in the counterfeiting of pharmaceuticals.

Ian Pearson: There is no evidence to suggest that Northern Ireland based paramilitary organisations are involved in the manufacture or supply of counterfeit pharmaceuticals. The Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety are acutely aware of the problems associated with counterfeit medicines in other countries and they continue to monitor the situation closely.
	A quantity of illegal veterinary medicines was seized in a joint operation between the PSNI and DHSS&PS in April and May 2004. This followed a number of planned searches.

Fall-related Injuries

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) accident and emergency attendances and (b) hospital admissions there were in the Province for fall-related injuries in those aged (i) less than 60, (ii) 60 to 75 and (iii) more than 75 years in each of the last five years.

Barry Gardiner: Information is not available on (a) the number of attendances at accident and emergency for fall-related injuries. However, information is available on (b) the number of admissions 1 to hospitals in Northern Ireland each year suffering from fall-related injuries for people aged (i) less than 60, (ii) 60 to 75 and (iii) more than 75 years, and is shown for the years 1999–2000 to 2003–04 in the table.
	
		
			  Age group 
			  0–59 years 60–74 years 75+ years Total 
		
		
			 1999–2000 6,248 1,887 3,856 11,991 
			 2000–01 5,886 1,858 4,115 11,859 
			 2001–02 5,572 1,803 3,878 11,253 
			 2002–03 4,502 1,553 3,366 9,421 
			 2003–04 4,615 1,573 3,688 9,876 
		
	
	Source:
	Hospital Inpatients System
	1 Discharges and deaths are used as an approximation for admissions.

Haemophilia Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the services available in the Province for haemophilia patients.

Angela Smith: Most services to haemophiliacs are provided in an outpatient primary care or community environment. In addition, the Haemophilia Centre based at Belfast City Hospital provides a regional service for patients with inherited and acquired bleeding disorders. Cover is provided by the Consultant team on a 24-hour basis. A vacancy currently exists for a Centre Director, which is being filled on an acting basis by a senior haematologist, but this has no direct impact on the service to patients.

House Sales

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will support the restriction of house sales to local people in areas of Northern Ireland where the local economy depends upon tourism, with particular reference to (a) Portballintrae, (b) Portstewart and (c) Castlerock, in a manner similar to that recently proposed by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

John Spellar: There are no plans at present to introduce the restriction of house sales to local people along the North Coast of Northern Ireland.
	The house sales schemes of housing associations and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive give adequate protection for retaining housing in local areas as only the sitting tenant, with others living in the house, may buy that dwelling, and, in the event of re-sale within 10 years from the date of purchase, the dwelling must be offered to the social landlord from whom it was bought.

IT (Disciplinary Procedures)

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff in his Department have (a) received official warnings and (b) faced disciplinary procedures following breaches of IT policy in each year since 1997.

Ian Pearson: The information is in the table.
	
		
			  Number of staff receiving official warnings (verbal) Number of staff who faced disciplinary procedures 
		
		
			 1997 Nil — 
			 1998 Nil — 
			 1999 Nil — 
			 2000 2 1 formal 
			 2001 4 1 informal/1 formal 
			 2002 3 2 informal/1 formal 
			 2003 12 — 
			 2004 1 1 formal

John Lewis Store

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what his policy is on the proposal for a John Lewis store and associated development at Sprucefield;
	(2)  what plans he has for public consultation on the proposal for a John Lewis store at Sprucefield.

Angela Smith: Proposals for any retail development at Sprucefield must be judged against policies contained in the Regional Development Strategy, the current statutory development plan [Lisburn Area Plan 2001], the recently-published Draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan 2015 (BMAP) and relevant Planning Policy Statements, in particular PPS5—retailing and Town Centres—a key objective of which is to sustain and enhance the vitality and viability of town centres.
	Public consultation on the proposed development has been on-going for some time with the published notices in the local press in respect of the planning application and supporting documentation. The applicants are preparing further information requested by the Department and on receipt of this information a further public advertisement will be placed in the local press. Third parties will have at least 28 days to respond. As the application is being dealt with under the special procedures set out in Article 31 of the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991, the Department can ask the Planning Appeals Commission to hold a public inquiry if this is considered appropriate. No decision on a public inquiry has been taken at this stage.

Listed Buildings

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many buildings in Northern Ireland have been newly listed by the Environmental and Heritage Service over the last three years.

Angela Smith: The total number of newly listed buildings in Northern Ireland from 1 April 2002 to date is 103. There were 44 new listings in 2002–03, 47 new listings in 2003–04 and 12 new listings in 2004–05 to date.
	A list of the buildings newly listed during the period has been placed in the Library.

Ministerial Visits

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many visits by the President of the Irish Republic to Northern Ireland have taken place over the past three years; and what protocol was followed prior to each visit.

Paul Murphy: President McAleese visited Northern Ireland on 33 occasions during the three years 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2004. Nine of these visits were in a private capacity. For the remainder a Lord-Lieutenant or their representative greeted the President. Members of Parliament were advised, for information only, of the President's attendance at all public venues within their constituency.

Waiting Times (Orthopaedic)

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average waiting time for patients in Northern Ireland to see an orthopaedic consultant is, broken down by Health and Social Services Board area.

Angela Smith: Waiting list information is collected by time band. It is therefore not possible to calculate the arithmetic mean length of time waiting. It is however possible to identify the median or mid-point waiting time band.
	
		The median time band for patients currently waiting for a first outpatient appointment in the trauma and orthopaedics specialty at 30 September 2004 for each Health and Social Services Board
		
			 Purchaser board Median time band (months) 
		
		
			 Eastern 12–14 
			 Northern 3–5 
			 Southern 3–5 
			 Western 3–5 
			 Other 6–8 
			 Northern Ireland 6–8

Waiting Times (Orthopaedic)

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the longest time is that a patient has had to wait to see an orthopaedic consultant in Northern Ireland since 1997.

Angela Smith: The information requested is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, the longest period that a patient was waiting for inpatient admission to the trauma and orthopaedic specialty at 31 December 2004 is 2,495 days.
	The longest period that a patient was waiting for initial outpatient assessment to the trauma and orthopaedic specialty at 31 December 2004 is 2,254 days.

Peace Funding

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of whether there has been a disparity in the allocation of peace funding in the last five years.

Ian Pearson: European peace funding is governed by the general principles of equality of opportunity and targeting social need that apply to all public expenditure and not on the basis of shares to any one group or community.

School Transport

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Department of Education or an education and library board have been subject to judicial review on home to school transport policy.

Barry Gardiner: In the current financial year the Department and the North-Eastern Education and Library Board have jointly been party to one judicial review relating to the home to school transport policy. The application was dismissed.
	Neither the Department nor the Education and Library Boards have been involved in any other judicial reviews this year in respect of the transport arrangements.

Special Units

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reasons (a) official publications referring to post-primary enrolments and (b) his Department's figures in the Costello Report exclude pupils in special units.

Barry Gardiner: Departmental publications containing actual enrolments in mainstream schools normally include pupils in special units. When calculating school population projections, pupils in special units are projected and presented separately and therefore were not included in the projections presented in the Costello Report.
	The inclusion or exclusion of pupils in special units has no impact on the year-on-year change in projected enrolments, as the number of pupils in special units is held constant in the calculations. If pupils in special units were included in the calculation of the projections, the projected decline of 2.1 per cent. in the post-primary school population from 2002–03 to 2004–05 would be the same.

Suicides

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many suicides there have been in the Province in each of the last 10 years.

Ian Pearson: The following table gives the number of deaths registered in Northern Ireland for each year between 1994 and 2003 due to suicide and self-inflicted injury" 1 and the number of registered deaths due to undetermined injury whether accidentally or purposefully inflicted" 2 .
	1 International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes X60-X84, Y87.0 for years 2001–2003 and Ninth Revision codes E950-E959 for years 1994–2000.
	2 International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes Y10-Y34, Y87.2 for years 2001–03 and Ninth Revision codes E980-E989 for years 1994–2000.
	
		Number of registered deaths by year in Northern Ireland due to suicide and self-inflicted injury" orundetermined injury whether accidentally or purposefully inflicted"
		
			 Registration year Death due to suicide and self-inflicted injury" Death due to undetermined injury whether accidentally or purposefully inflicted" Total deaths due to suicide and self-inflicted injury" or undetermined injury whether accidentally or purposefully inflicted" 
		
		
			 1994 138 13 151 
			 1995 122 24 146 
			 1996 124 19 143 
			 1997 120 18 138 
			 1998 126 24 150 
			 1999 121 33 154 
			 2000 163 22 185 
			 2001 141 17 158 
			 2002 162 21 183 
			 2003 132 12 144

Theft and Fraud

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the cost to each of the Government Departments in the Province of (a) theft and (b) fraud in each of the last six years.

Ian Pearson: The cost of (a) theft and (b) fraud to each Northern Ireland Department (including agencies and NDPBs) for 2003–04 is as follows:
	
		£
		
			 2003 Theft Fraud 
		
		
			 Department of Finance and Personnel 1,470 0 
			 Department of Education 0 16,686 
			 Department of Agriculture and Rural Development 1,423 0 
			 Department of Regional Development 1,143 0 
			 Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety 185 1,203 
			 Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure 3,616 290,104 
			 Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment/Department of Employment and Learning(80) 1,783 67,792 
			 Department of the Environment 1,035 5 
			 Department of Social Development 61,400 75,800 
			 Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister 0 0 
			 Total 72,055 451,590 
		
	
	(80) Figures include both Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and Department of Employment and Learning.
	The cost of theft and fraud for the five previous years can only be shown in total for all Departments, as the cost of obtaining the information would be disproportionate.
	
		£
		
			  Cost of theft and fraud 
		
		
			 2002–03 494,020 
			 2001–02 518,235 
			 2000–01 324,829 
			 1999–2000 152,042 
			 1998–99 204,617

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Armament Sales (China)

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to consider human rights issues before permitting the sale of arms to China.

Bill Rammell: This is already the case. Applications for licences to export arms and other goods controlled for strategic reasons are considered against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. Criterion Two of the Code obliges the Government to refuse an export licence if there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression.

Armament Sales (China)

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the US Administration in the past six months concerning the EU arms embargo on China.

Bill Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood (John Wilkinson) on 20 January 2005, Official Report, columns 1055–56W.

Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place a copy of the United Kingdom Confidence-Building Measure return under the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention for 2003 and subsequent years in the Library.

Denis MacShane: Some States Party have now published their Confidence-Building Measure returns under the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention on the internet. For example, the 2004 US return is on the US State Department website at http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/32486.pdf. This is a positive development in the interests of transparency. The Government are currently pursuing with those who provide the information for the UK return whether they are prepared to make their information publicly available, including returns from 2003 and 2004.
	I will write to my hon. Friend when this consultation exercise is complete and will place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

Burkina Faso

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met representatives of the Government of Burkina Faso; what the topics of discussion were at that meeting; what the outcome was of the meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: A Foreign and Commonwealth Office official met the Burkinabe ambassador to London on 10 November 2004, and stressed the need for all Co(r)te d'lvoire's neighbours to help the international community's efforts to reach a peaceful solution in Co(r)te d'lvoire.

Burma

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens are held in prisons in Burma.

Chris Mullin: We are not aware of any British nationals detained in Burma.

Chechnya

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held in the past year with (a) EU governments and (b) the US Administration in connection with Russia's policy in Chechnya.

Bill Rammell: Russia's policy in Chechnya has been a regular and frequent subject of discussion on a range of levels with US and EU governments during 2004, and has been discussed by European Foreign Ministers, including my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, at successive General Affairs and External Relations Councils.
	We also pursued action on Chechnya in international organisations, including the EU, the Council of Europe and the OSCE, and at the UN Committee on Human Rights.

Chechnya

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Russian Government in the past six months concerning human rights in Chechnya.

Bill Rammell: The UK Government remain concerned about the human rights situation in Chechnya. Most worrying are the reports of extra-judicial killings, arbitrary detention and torture.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary most recently raised our concerns with the Russian Government when he met Foreign Minister Lavrov on his trip to Moscow in July 2004. Other Ministers and officials have continued to raise Chechnya with the Russian authorities at all levels since then, including at the annual UK/Russia human rights talks in September.
	I intend to reinforce this message during my planned visit to Moscow in February and with Mr. Lukin, the Russian Human Rights Ombudsman, when he visits London at my invitation early in 2005.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the likelihood of free and fair elections being held in the Democratic Republic of Congo in June; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: Free and fair elections are vital to a peaceful and prosperous Democratic Republic of Congo. Many challenges, both logistical and legislative, will need to be overcome if this target is to be met in the timetable laid out by the peace accords.
	The UK continues to support the transitional Government's efforts to prepare for elections. We have announced a £5 million financial contribution to the United Nations administered trust fund for this financial year to support the process.

Co(r)te D'Ivoire

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the impact on the peace process in Co(r)te d'Ivoire of General Henri Poncet's announcement on 18 January on the willingness of the French force in Co(r)te d'Ivoire to use force if asked to do so by the UN mission; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: We welcome General Poncet's expressed willingness for French forces in Co(r)te d'lvoire to use necessary force when requested to do so by the UN Operation (UNOCI). This is provided for in UN Security Council resolution 1528 (2004). With UNOCI, French forces have helped preserve the peace by maintaining the zone of confidence separating the two sides, and have helped restore order after the recent violence; we value their continued support of UNOCI.

Co(r)te D'Ivoire

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) he, (b) members of his Department and (c) representatives of the UK Government have had since November 2004 with members and representatives of (i) the French government, (ii) the government of Co(r)te d'Ivoire, (iii) the rebel forces in the north of Co(r)te d'Ivoire and (iv) the UN regarding the (A) size and (B)nature of the French military deployment to Co(r)te d'Ivoire; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister met President Chirac on 18 January and discussed Co(r)te d'Ivoire. The Prime Minister thanked President Chirac for the French role in supporting the UN operation. On 18 November my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary thanked Foreign Minister Barnier for French military assistance in the evacuation of British citizens.
	Officials in London and Paris remain in regular contact with the French government about the situation in Co(r)te d'Ivoire.
	We also participate actively in Security Council discussions relating to Co(r)te d'Ivoire as part of an on-going assessment of the roles and responsibility of the UN operation in Co(r)te d'Ivoire.

Cyprus

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will arrange to meet representatives of the other guarantors of Cyprus to discuss the future of the island.

Denis MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary regularly meets his Greek and Turkish counterparts. The Foreign Secretary met the Greek Foreign Minister on 2 December 2004, and met the Turkish Foreign Minister on 9 December 2004. On both occasions Cyprus was discussed, among other issues.
	The Government will continue to work with all the parties towards a just, viable and lasting Cyprus settlement and urges the two communities, and in particular the Greek Cypriot side, to demonstrate the necessary political will to that end. We stand ready to assist the UN Secretary-General in any new settlement process and fulfil our responsibilities as a Guarantor Power. In the meantime, we will continue to work to implement the EU's policy to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, in line with the appeal of the UN Secretary-General in his Report on his Mission of Good Offices of 28 May 2004.

Cyprus

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent meetings he has held with Turkish Ministers to discuss the removal of Turkish troops from Cyprus.

Denis MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed a range of issues, including troops in Cyprus, with the Turkish Foreign Minister on 9 December 2004.
	Our fundamental goal remains to work for a Cyprus settlement. The Turkish Government gave their full support to the UN Secretary-General's settlement plan, which included a provision for the phased withdrawal of Turkish troops down to a militarily insignificant level.

Diego Garica

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on (a) the circumstances in which the Government of Mauritius told his Department that the Mauritius Shipping Company cancelled a visit to Diego Garcia for Chagossians and (b) the implementation of his undertaking to Chagossians that they be allowed to visit ancestral graves in the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Bill Rammell: The British High Commission in Mauritius was informed in November 2004 by the Mauritius Shipping Corporation (MSC), a parastatal company, that the M/V Trochetia would be available for a visit to the British Indian Ocean Territory to take place in April. A provisional booking of the vessel was made on 29 December. In the meantime, I had written to the Mauritian Foreign Minister on 13 December to inform him of the visit and that we were entering into negotiation with the MSC. On 7 January the MSC informed the British High Commission that the M/V Trochetia could not be made available, and the Prime Minister of Mauritius told me on 13 January that it was he who had personally intervened to prevent its use because he felt it would undermine Mauritius' claim to sovereignty.
	My officials are seeking to make alternative arrangements to enable the visit to go ahead.

European Constitution

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to employ the services of a private sector organisation to promote the European Constitution; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: As part of on-going work to provide information to the UK public about the EU, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has employed a PR agency and is considering employing external support for partnership marketing and e-communications. This is entirely consistent with established practice—the majority of Government Departments engage outside agencies to deliver information and communications work in a cost-effective way.

European Constitution

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what guidance he has issued to his Department's civil servants on their role prior to and during the proposed referendum on the Constitutional Treaty for the European Union;
	(2)  what guidance he has issued to his Department's press officers on their role prior to and during the proposed referendum on the Constitutional Treaty for the European Union.

Denis MacShane: Guidance to civil servants, including special advisers and members of the Government Information and Communication Service, on their conduct during the referendum on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for the EU, and the period leading up to it, will be issued in due course. It will be made public. In addition, Section 125 of the provisions of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 will apply.

Iran

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the US Administration in the past six months concerning Iran and the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

Denis MacShane: The Government continue to have a regular dialogue with the US Administration on a wide range of issues of mutual concern. The most recent discussion on Iran's nuclear programme took place during my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's visit to Washington this week.

Liberia

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) he, (b) members of his Department and (c) representatives of the UK Government have had since August 2003 with members and representatives of (i) the EU, (ii) the governments of the member states of the EU, (iii) the UN, (iv) the government of the US, (v)the government of Russia, (vi) the government of China, (vii) the government of Australia and (viii) the government of India regarding the economic and security situation in Liberia; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed Liberia with the then US Secretary of State Colin Powell in January 2004. I have attended two meetings of the International Contact Group on Liberia, where I met senior representatives of the US, UN, France and the EU. I also met senior UN, US and EU representatives during my visit to Liberia in November 2004; security and the economy were among the issues discussed.
	UK officials regularly discuss Liberia with the EU and member states at the EU Africa Working Group and the Africa Caribbean Pacific Working Group. There is also frequent contact between UK, US, UN and EU officials in Monrovia, New York and London. This includes discussions over the deployment of Irish, Dutch and Swedish troops to the UN Mission in Liberia.
	The UK has had discussions with officials from China and Russia in the margins of the Security Council discussions on Liberia at the UN. I am not aware of any discussions with the Governments of Australia or India.

Non-proliferation Treaty

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who the UK representatives will be at the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in New York in May; and what proposals will be tabled by the UK Government.

Denis MacShane: I refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave him on 1 November 2004, Official Report, column 77W and 13 December 2004, Official Report, column 899W. The UK will send a full delegation to the 2005 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference. The delegation will be led by Ambassador John Freeman, the UK Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament at Geneva. He will be accompanied by other experts and advisers to be decided.
	We will stress the need for a stronger and more effective counter-proliferation regime and the central role of the NPT as its cornerstone. We will emphasise the importance of compliance with the treaty and will promote the adoption of safeguards. We will emphasise the strength of the UK's positive record on nuclear disarmament and we will present a final report of the studies we have conducted on the verification of nuclear disarmament.

Palestine

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will meet representatives of the Palestinian authorities following the recent election.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will meet recently-elected Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and representatives of the Palestinian Authority at the London Meeting on strengthening the Palestinian Authority. This will take place on 1 March. We will also hold bilateral contacts and meetings with the Palestinian leadership as necessary in the run-up to the London Meeting.

Serbia and Montenegro

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made to the Government of Serbia and Montenegro requesting that they hand over war criminals to the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague.

Denis MacShane: The UK Government continue to take every opportunity—both bilaterally and in multilateral fora—to make clear to the Government of Serbia and Montenegro (SaM), as well as to the competent authorities in Belgrade and in Podgorica, their international obligations, under Chapter VII UN Security Council Resolutions, to co-operate fully with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague.
	Most recently, during the visit of SaM President Svetozar Marovic and other State Union Ministers to the UK, I—together with my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary, the Secretary of State for Defence and other Ministers—emphasised that the arrest or surrender and transfer to The Hague of fugitive indictees, in particular Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, is the key requirement for the country's closer integration with Euro-Atlantic structures.

Sir Mark Thatcher (South Africa)

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether UK Government officials were involved in the proceedings relating to Sir Mark Thatcher in South Africa.

Chris Mullin: No. Officials from our Consulate General in Cape Town provided Sir Mark Thatcher with appropriate consular assistance.

VE Day Celebrations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department has for the celebration of the 60thanniversary of Victory in Europe day.

Denis MacShane: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will participate in the major commemorations held on Sunday 10 July 2005 which will incorporate the anniversaries of the cessation of hostilities in Europe and the Far East and are being organised by the Ministry of Defence.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Antisocial Behaviour Response Courts

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the establishment of the antisocial response courts.

Christopher Leslie: Antisocial behaviour response courts are magistrates courts, which have a particular focus in dealing with antisocial behaviour cases as effectively as possible, in co-operation with local agencies.
	The key features of antisocial behaviour response courts are:
	Dealing with cases swiftly and efficiently;
	Providing high-level witness care;
	Ensuring magistrates and court staff are fully trained and aware of local issues and concerns;
	Working closely with the other criminal justice agencies;
	Identifying an individual with specific responsibility for co-ordinating the courts' response; and
	Holding specialist sessions, where appropriate.
	Within this framework, it is a matter for local management to decide how the courts should operate in their areas.
	Antisocial behaviour response courts were originally established in summer 2004 in 12 areas, including Merseyside. The location of these courts was chosen to link up with the appointment of specialist Crown Prosecutors in these areas. Since then antisocial behaviour response courts have been identified across England and Wales. On 21 January 2004 Lord Falconer announced the identification of the 100th antisocial behaviour response court. Lessons learned from the original 12 courts have also been circulated to courts across England and Wales, to ensure that all courts are aware of best practice in their handling of ASB cases.
	Further antisocial behaviour response courts will be identified in areas where there is a need.

Asylum Seekers

Barbara Roche: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what advice is issued to asylum adjudicators regarding the grounds for granting refugee status to applicants who have fled persecution because of their homosexuality.

Christopher Leslie: Immigration Adjudicators are independent members of the judiciary, and as such no specific advice or guidance is issued in relation to claims based on an appellant's sexuality. Immigration Adjudicators will determine each asylum appeal based on their own findings of fact and by applying the law as established to that particular claim.

Asylum Seekers

Barbara Roche: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what training in sexuality issues is given to asylum case adjudicators who handle asylum applications based on persecution on the grounds of sexual orientation.

Christopher Leslie: Immigration adjudicators are independent members of the judiciary who determine each asylum appeal based on their own findings of fact and by applying the law as established to that particular claim. The training of immigration adjudicators is organised and facilitated by senior judicial members of the Immigration Appellate Authority.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when he intends to answer the letter dated 15 December 2004 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Thomas Gill.

Christopher Leslie: I can confirm that the hon. Member's letter was received on 20 December. Unfortunately, however, it has been mislaid. Arrangements have been made to obtain a further copy and the Secretary of State will write to the right hon. Member soon. I apologise for this unfortunate incident.

District Judges

Norman Baker: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many district judges there have been in each year since 1997.

Christopher Leslie: The number of district and deputy district judges in post for each year since 1997 are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  District judge (including family division) Deputy district judge (including family division) Stipendiary magistrates(81)/district judge (magistrates court) Acting stipendiary magistrates1/deputy district judge (magistrates court) 
		
		
			 1997 337 (82)— 91 85 
			 1998 355 725 90 82 
			 1999 379 760 93 95 
			 2000 402 750 96 146 
			 2001 419 761 98 166 
			 2002 434 775 103 156 
			 2003 426 785 104 176 
			 2004 434 801 106 174 
		
	
	(81)On 31 August 2000 stipendiary magistrates and acting stipendiary magistrates were renamed district judges (magistrates court) and deputy district judges (magistrates court).
	(82)Figure not available.

Royal Charters

Edward Davey: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if the Government will take steps to make a complete list of Royal Charters and their provisions available to the public.

Christopher Leslie: Since the year 1231, over 940 charters have been issued. There are about 400 still in force, but the exact number cannot be determined without historical research which is outside the capacity of the Privy Council Office.

Royal Charters

Edward Davey: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs which Royal Charters granting rights to trade in certain areas also restrict trade within that area; and when these were awarded.

Christopher Leslie: The Privy Council Office does not hold this information.

Royal Charters

Edward Davey: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps are taken to enforce conditions attached to Royal Charters; and who is responsible for doing so.

Christopher Leslie: The grant of a Royal Charter is not subject to conditions.

Royal Charters

Edward Davey: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether the Department has investigated whether any Royal Charter contravenes the European Convention on Human Rights; what steps are taken to ensure that Royal Charters conform to the Convention; and whether court cases have arisen in relation to the conformity of Royal Charters with the European Convention.

Christopher Leslie: It is not part of the function of the Privy Council Office to carry out such investigations.

Royal Charters

Edward Davey: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what Government policy is regarding the future award of Royal Charters; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Leslie: The Privy Council will continue to advise Her Majesty to grant Royal Charters in cases where this is in the public interest.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Building Regulations

Andrew Love: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he received relating to the consultation on amendments to Part L of the building regulations to the effect that organisations accredited as competent under the Council for Registered Gas Installers and the Oil Firing Technical Association are (a) fully qualified and (b) under-qualified to assess whole heating systems; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: During last year's consultation on amendments to Part L of the Building Regulations the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister received some representations that the CORGI and OFTEC Competent Persons schemes do not cover works on whole heating systems to the extent that they could. Officials in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are now working closely with CORGI, OFTEC and other organisations to see what changes are needed to improve the scope of the Competent Persons Schemes in relation to Part L.

Building Regulations

Nigel Evans: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the potential for (a) lowering fuel bills and (b) reducing carbon emissions by amendment of Part L of the Buildings Regulations.

Phil Hope: The most recent assessment is contained in the consultation document published last July by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. That document contains proposals to raise the standards in Part L this year in line with the commitments in the Energy White Paper. As normal the proposals aim to achieve substantial improvements consistent with Better Regulation policy, cost-effectiveness, design flexibility and the avoidance of excessive technical risks.

Council Housing

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total income in capital receipts was from the sale of council housing under the right-to-buy in 2003–04, broken down by (a) debt free and (b) indebted local authorities.

Keith Hill: Total receipts from council right-to-buy sales in England for 2003–04 are estimated at £3,025 million, of which £338 million are from those local authorities who were debt-free as at 1 April 2003. The remaining receipts (£2687 million) are from indebted local authorities.

Criminal Offences

Mark Oaten: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department in the (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04 session broken down by Act.

Yvette Cooper: The criminal offences created in legislation by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in (a) 2002–03 are:
	Local Government Act 2003
	Section 43(4D) of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 (inserted by section 61 of the LG Act 2003) makes it an offence to give false information on a small business rate relief application.
	The criminal offences created in legislation by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in (b) 2003–04 are:
	Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (PCPA) 2004
	Section 52 inserts sections 171E to 171G into the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 which relate to temporary stop notices. Under section 171G a person commits an offence if he contravenes a temporary stop notice.
	Section 105 inserts a new section 5A and a new section 5B into the Acquisition of Land Act 1981. Under the new section 5B (1) a person is guilty of an offence if he fails without reasonable excuse to comply with a notice (for information) served on him under section 5A. A person also commits an offence under section 5B (2) if in response to such a notice he gives information which is materially false and knows, or ought to know, that the information is false. Under subsection (3) if a body corporate commits an offence under this section and it is found that this was done with the consent, connivance or neglect of a director, manager, secretary or other similar officer, or a person purporting to act in any such capacity, he shall also be found guilty of such an offence.
	Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004
	The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 created the following offences in England and Wales, re-enacting provisions previously contained in the Fire Services Act 1947:
	Section 40(4) Emergency supply by water undertaker
	A water undertaker commits an offence if, without reasonable excuse, it fails to take any step which it is obliged to take under subsection 40(1).
	Section 42(6) Fire hydrants
	A person commits an offence if he uses a fire hydrant otherwise than:
	(a) for the purposes of fire-fighting or for any other purposes of a fire and rescue authority, or
	(b) for any purpose authorised by the water undertaker or other person to whom the hydrant belongs.
	Section 42(7) Fire hydrants
	A person commits an offence if he damages or obstructs a fire hydrant, otherwise than in consequence of use for the purposes mentioned in section 42(6).
	Section 43(4) Notice of works affecting water supply and hydrants
	A person commits an offence if, without reasonable excuse, he fails to give notice as required by section 43(1) or 43(2).
	Section 44(3) Powers of firefighters etc. in an emergency etc.
	A person commits an offence if without reasonable excuse he obstructs or interferes with an employee of a fire and rescue authority taking action authorised under this section.
	Section 46(6) Supplementary powers
	A person commits an offence if without reasonable excuse:
	(a) he obstructs the exercise of any power under section 45 or section 46, or
	(b) he fails to comply with any requirement under section 46(1)(b) or 46(2)(g).
	Section 49(1) False alarms of fire
	A person commits an offence if he knowingly gives or causes to be given a false alarm of fire to a person acting on behalf of a fire and rescue authority.
	The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 created the following offence in England, Scotland and Wales, re-enacting provisions previously contained in the Fire Services Act 1947:
	Section 34(6) Pensions
	A person commits an offence if he does an act or makes an omission as a result of which he is injured or becomes ill, for the purpose of obtaining, for himself or another person:
	(a) an award under a scheme brought into operation under this section, or
	(b) a sum in respect of the repayment or application of contributions made under such a scheme.
	Housing Act 2004
	23 Offences have been created under the Housing Act 2004.
	Under section 30(1) an offence is committed where an improvement notice has become operative and the person on whom the notice was served fails to comply with it.
	Under section 32(1) a person commits an offence if, knowing that a prohibition order has become operative in relation to any specified premises, he:
	(a) uses the premises in contravention of the order, or
	(b) permits the premises to be so used.
	Section 35 provides that where an improvement notice or a prohibition order has been served by the local housing authority under Part 1 of the Act requiring specific action to be taken as respects premises and a person is preventing the action from being taken, a magistrates' court may, in certain circumstances, order the person to permit to be done on the premises anything which the court considers is necessary or expedient for the purpose of enabling the required action to be taken. Under section 35(4), a person who fails to comply with such an order of the court commits an offence.
	Under section 72(1) a person commits an offence if he is a person having control of or managing an HMO which is required to be licensed under Part 2 of the Act (licensing of HMOs) but is not so licensed.
	Under section 72(2) a person commits an offence if:
	(a) he is a person having control of or managing an HMO which is licensed under Part 2 of the Act,
	(b) he knowingly permits another person to occupy the house, and
	(c) the other person's occupation results in the house being occupied by more households or persons than is authorised by the licence.
	Under section 72(3) a person commits an offence if:
	(a) he is a licence holder or a person on whom restrictions or obligations under a licence are imposed in accordance with section 67(5), and
	(b) he fails to comply with any condition of the licence.
	Under section 95(1) a person commits an offence if he is a person having control of or managing a house which is required to be licensed under Part 3 of the Act (selective licensing of private landlords) but is not so licensed.
	Under section 95(2)a person commits an offence if:
	(a) he is a licence holder or a person on whom restrictions or obligations under a licence are imposed in accordance with section 90(6), and
	(b) he fails to comply with any condition of that licence.
	Section 131 confers on local housing authorities a power to enter a house subject to a management order made under Part 4 of the Act in order to carry out works. A magistrates' court may order a person preventing the carrying out of works to permit to be done on the premises anything which the authority considers necessary. A person who fails to comply with such an order of the court commits an offence.
	Under section 139(7) a person who contravenes an overcrowding notice served in respect of an HMO under section 139(2) commits an offence.
	Regulations under Part 5 of the Act may require home information packs to contain home condition reports prepared by members of an approved certification scheme. The regulations may also provide for the keeping of a register of such reports. Section 165(4) prohibits a person from disclosing the register or documents or information in or derived from the register and under section 165(7) a person who contravenes this prohibition is guilty of an offence.
	Under section 169(1) a person who obstructs an officer of the authority which is an enforcement authority for the purposes of Part 5 of the Act (home information packs) acting in pursuance of his power to require production of a home information pack is guilty of an offence.
	Under section 169(2) a person who, not being an authorised officer of an enforcement authority, purports to act as such in requiring production of a home information pack, or in giving a penalty charge notice for a breach of duty under Part 5 of the Act, is also guilty of an offence.
	Section 210(3) inserts a new subsection (1A) into section 3 of the Caravan Sites Act 1968. Under new section 3(1A) the owner of a protected site or his agent is guilty of an offence if:
	(a) he acts in a way which is likely to interfere with the peace or comfort of the occupier or persons residing with him, or
	(b) if he persistently withdraws or withholds services or facilities reasonably required for the occupation of the caravan as a residence on the site, during the subsistence of, or after the expiration or determination of a residential contract, and (in either case) he knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, that that conduct is likely to cause the occupier to do any of the things mentioned in subsection (l)(c)(i) or (ii) of the section 3.
	Section 234 gives the appropriate national authority the power to make regulations for the purpose of ensuring that, in respect of every house in multiple occupation of a description specified in the regulations:
	(a) there are in place satisfactory management arrangements; and
	(b) satisfactory standards of management are observed.
	Under section 234(3) a person commits an offence if he does not comply with regulations made under this section.
	Under section 236(1) a person commits an offence if he fails to do anything required of him by a notice under section 235 (power to require documents to be produced).
	Under section 236(4)a person commits an offence if he intentionally alters, suppresses or destroys any document which he has been required to produce by a notice under section 235.
	Under section 238(1) a person commits an offence if:
	(a) he supplies any information to a local housing authority in connection with any of their functions under any of Parts 1 to 4 or Part 7 of the Act,
	(b) the information is false or misleading, and
	(c) he knows that it is false or misleading or is reckless as to whether it is false or misleading.
	Under section 238(2) a person commits an offence if:
	(a) he supplies any information to another person which is false or misleading,
	(b) he knows that it is false or misleading or is reckless as to whether it is false or misleading, and
	(c) he knows that the information is to be used for the purpose of supplying information to a local housing authority in connection with any of their functions under any of Parts 1 to 4 or Part 7 of the Act.
	Under section 241 a person who obstructs a relevant person in the performance of anything which, by virtue of any of Parts 1 to 4 or Part 7 of the Act, that person is required or authorised to do commits an offence.
	Paragraph 25 of Schedule 7 gives the local housing authority, or any person authorised by them, the right to enter any part of a dwelling which is subject to an interim or final empty dwelling management order, at any reasonable time, for the purpose of carrying out works. Where any occupier notified of the intention to exercise this right prevents an officer, employee, agent or contractor of the local housing authority from carrying out the work a magistrates' court may order him to permit to be done on the premises anything which the authority consider to be necessary. Under paragraph 25(4) of Schedule 7 a person who fails to comply with such an order commits an offence.
	Paragraph 25 of Schedule 11 inserts a new paragraph 20A into Schedule 1 to the Housing Act 1996. This new paragraph provides that any person who, in purported compliance with a notice given under paragraph 20A (notice to give evidence to an inquiry into the affairs of a registered social landlord) knowingly or recklessly provides any information which is false or misleading in a material particular commits an offence.
	Paragraph 26(3) of Schedule 11 inserts new sub-paragraphs (4)-(6) in to paragraph 21 of Schedule 1 to the Housing Act 1996. These new paragraphs provide that any person who, in purported compliance with a notice given under paragraph 21 (notice to give information to an inquiry) knowingly or recklessly provides any information which is false or misleading in a material particular commits an offence.

Flood Risks

Nigel Evans: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to introduce measures to increase the resilience of domestic oil tanks to the risk of flooding on flood plains.

Phil Hope: There are currently no plans to introduce such measures. Pollution risks from domestic oil tanks have been addressed in the Building Regulations since 1 April 2002 and it would be premature to amend the provisions without the results of a survey of implementation starting later this year. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is aware that the perception of domestic oil pollution risks is changing, and it is considering with the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency what additional technical guidance may be necessary.

Government Grants

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the (a) housing, (b) regeneration and (c) social exclusion scheme funding streams the Government has operated since May 1997; and which are still in operation.

Keith Hill: The following funding streams are currently in operation:
	Housing
	Arms Length Management Organisations
	Best Value Intervention in Housing
	Black and Minority Ethnic Registered Social Landlords
	Clawback compensation grant (housing receipts)
	Disabled Facilities Grants
	Estate Action
	Gypsy Site Grant
	Homelessness (previously separate funding streams relating to Bed & Breakfast, Rough Sleepers, Homelessness Strategies and the Priority Needs Order)
	Housing Action Trusts
	Housing Bill Implementation (Home Buying & Selling, Landlord Licensing and Safety Ratings, Tenants Deposit Scheme)
	Housing Defects Grants/Loan Charges
	Housing Management Grants
	Housing Mobility Grants
	Housing Revenue Account Subsidy
	Large Scale Voluntary Transfers—gap funding and repayment of overhanging debt
	Leasehold Enfranchisement Advisory Service
	Local Authority funding of Pilot Letting Schemes
	Local Authority Social Housing Grant—Transitional Compensation
	Private Housing Renewal
	Private Landlords in Low Demand Areas
	Procurement Efficiency & Social Housing
	Residential Property Tribunal Service
	Safer Communities Supported Housing Fund
	Single Housing Capital Pot (includes Housing Corporation Approved Development Programme and Local Authority Supported Capital Expenditure for Housing)
	Starter Homes Initiative
	Supporting People
	The National Approved Letting Scheme
	Regeneration
	Coalfields funding (Enterprise Fund and Regeneration Trust)
	Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment
	Design Awards
	English Partnerships (including Commission for the New Towns)
	European Regional Development Fund
	Groundwork & National Urban Forestry Unit
	Housing Market Renewal Fund
	Interreg (European funding stream)
	Lea Valley Regional Park
	Liveability Fund
	Living Spaces
	Mersey Basin
	New Deal for Communities
	New Ventures Fund
	Other Growth Areas
	Regional Development Agencies (including London Development Agency)
	Single Regeneration Budget
	Special Grants Programme
	Thames Gateway
	Trees & Hedges
	Urban Design Skills
	The following funding streams have existed at some point since May 1997 but are no longer in operation:
	Housing
	British Board of Agreement
	Estates Renewal Challenge Fund
	Rent Officer Services
	Regeneration
	Central Manchester Regeneration
	Challenge Fund Grants
	Coalfields Housing
	Greenwich Millennium
	Public Space Improvement Programme
	Urban Development Corporations—post wind-up
	The Government also fund the work of the Social Exclusion Unit. The Unit does not administer funding streams directly but does work with government departments and other stakeholders to ensure that a wide range of Government funding programmes contribute to the reduction of social exclusion.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister also funds research on housing, regeneration and social exclusion.

Housing Associations

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish an annual summary for the next three years of planned improvements to housing association stock.

Keith Hill: The information requested is not held centrally by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. However, Housing Associations supply the Housing Corporation with forecast spend on planned maintenance and major repairs, both of which may include works classed as improvements." The totals for these two for 2005–06 to 2007–08 are as follows;
	
		
			  Total £ 
		
		
			 2005–06 1,921,719 
			 2006–07 1,886,966 
			 2007–08 1,834,596

Housing Benefit

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what percentage of (a) council tenants and (b) housing association tenants are on housing benefit, broken down by local authority area.

Keith Hill: A table showing the percentage of housing association tenants in local authority areas in England who receive housing benefit in 2004 has been made available in the Library of the House.
	Data for local authority tenants are not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing Benefit

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of tenants of (a) housing associations and (b) local authorities received housing benefit in each of the last five years.

Keith Hill: The following table gives the percentage of housing association tenants in England who receive housing benefit in the last five years.
	
		Percentage of housing association tenants in receipt of housing benefit 2000–04
		
			  Benefit No benefit Unknown 
		
		
			 2000 64.5 19.5 16.0 
			 2001 61.9 21.3 16.8 
			 2002 60.4 22.1 17.3 
			 2003 58.1 22.7 19.2 
			 2004 57.6 23.0 19.3 
		
	
	There are no comparable data for local authority tenants.

New Charter

Andrew Bennett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of whether New Charter are (a) ensuring acceptable behaviour from tenants and (b) evicting tenants who do not behave in an acceptable way in Tameside.

Keith Hill: The Audit Commission are responsible for assessing New Charter Housing Trusts' performance on antisocial behaviour. Their latest assessment awarded New Charter the highest rating possible on dealing with antisocial behaviour.

New Charter

Andrew Bennett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he has taken to verify how far (a) New Charter and (b) Pioneer Homes have fulfilled the undertakings made to tenants in prospectuses issued on taking over council housing in Tameside.

Keith Hill: New Charter Housing Trust and Ashton Pioneer Homes are regulated by The Housing Corporation.

New Charter

Andrew Bennett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what redress tenants of New Charter Housing in Tameside have in the event of failure by New Charter Housing to meet its obligations on Rose Hill estate.

Keith Hill: Tenants of New Charter Housing are entitled to use the internal complaints procedure of the association. Should tenants be unhappy with the response from the association they have the right to lodge a complaint with the Housing Ombudsman who will investigate and where appropriate make recommendations.
	Ultimately, tenants have legal redress against New Charter Housing for any significant failure of service. Where an association fails to meet the requirements of the Regulatory Code, the Housing Corporation will take action. New Charter Housing has also introduced a compensation policy to cover service failure.

New Charter

Andrew Bennett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make provision for tenants of New Charter to have a new ballot on (a) moving to a new housing association and (b) returning to Tameside council tenancy.

Keith Hill: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to make provision for tenants of New Charter Housing Trust to have a new ballot.

Regional Chambers

David Maclean: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will issue guidance to (a) members of and (b) contributors to unelected regional chambers on where legal liability resides when a law suit is brought against the chamber; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to issue such guidance.

Social Housing

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many of the 14,000 social housing units planned to be funded with Transitional Local Authority Social Housing Grant were built in 2003–04; and how many he estimates will be completed in (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06.

Keith Hill: In 2003–04 a total of 4,916 homes were completed with funding through Transitional Local Authority Social Housing Grant (LASHG).
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's current estimates for transitional LASHG schemes to complete in 2004–05 and 2005–06 are that 4,800 and 2,200 homes will be provided.

Social Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much private capital arm's length housing transfers have contributed to housing since they started; and how much the Government has paid to them to date.

Keith Hill: Arms length management organisations (ALMOs) set up by local authorities to manage their social housing stock are financed entirely by public funds and receive no private capital. The Government's support for qualifying ALMOs was £56 million in 2002–03 and £321 million in 2003–04, and is forecast to be about £590 million in 2004–05.

Social Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many arm's length management organisations (ALMOs) have not been given all the money promised by Government before start up; how much has been held back; from which ALMOs; and for what reasons.

Keith Hill: All offers of Government funding for Arms Length Management Organisations (ALMOs) are conditional on the local authority receiving approval from the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister to delegate its housing management functions to the ALMO and the ALMO being awarded a two or three star rating from the Housing Inspectorate. No funding has been held back from any ALMOs on the programmes that have fulfilled these conditions.

Social Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many registered social landlords have not maintained their guarantees to existing tenants in large scale voluntary transfers not to increase the rents for five years.

Keith Hill: The Housing Corporation and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are not aware of any transfer Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) that have been unable to honour the rent guarantees given to tenants when consulted on a housing transfer. Since 2002 any such guarantees have been required to comply with policy for rent restructuring in the local authority and RSL sectors.

Social Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) council tenants and (b) former council tenants have transferred to (i) registered social landlords and (ii) arm's length management organisations exercising their right to buy in each year since 1995.

Keith Hill: Figures for council and registered social landlord right to buy sales for England since 1995–96 are tabled as follows.
	
		Number of right to buy sales -- Thousand
		
			  (a) local authority (b) registered social landlord 
		
		
			 1995–96 31.5 2.9 
			 1996–97 33.2 2.4 
			 1997–98 41.3 4.5 
			 1998–99 40.3 4.4 
			 1999–2000 54.3 7.2 
			 2000–01 52.4 7.1 (of which 5.2 preserved right to buy) 
			 2001–02 52.0 8.2 (of which 6.7 preserved right to buy) 
			 2002–03 63.4 (of which at least 3.3 from ALMO) 10.5 (of which 8.9 preserved right to buy) 
			 2003–04 69.6 (of which at least 8.9 from ALMO) 14.5 (of which 11.7 preserved right to buy) 
		
	
	Prior to 2002–03, sales from Arms Length Management Organisations (ALMO) are assumed to be nil. Figures on Preserved Right to Buy are not available prior to 2000–01.

Social Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average rent levels for (a) housing association tenants and (b) council tenants have been in each of the last four years.

Keith Hill: The average weekly rents for housing association tenants and local authority tenants in the year to April are tabled as follows:
	
		Average weekly rent for social housing tenants by tenure in
		
			  2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Housing association 53.29 55.53 57.05 58.34 
			 Local authority 47.87 49.93 50.96 (83)52.78 
		
	
	(83)provisional
	Sources:
	Housing Corporation HAR/10, RSR (Regulatory and Statistical Return) and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Second Advance Claim Form.

Staff Vacancies

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much his Department spent on advertising staff vacancies in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002. The amount spent on advertising staff vacancies in 2002 and 2003 was £241,966 and £259,712 respectively.